1 dead, 3 missing, 18 transported to hospital after Hard Rock Hotel construction collapse

[txradioguy]

Emergency officials are on the scene of a partial building collapse at the Hard Rock Hotel construction site in New Orleans.

According to EMS officials, one person is dead, three people are missing, and 18 have been taken to an area hospital for treatment. A total of 19 people have been treated so far.


Christina Watkins
✔
@CWatkinsWDSU
 Â· 29m
Replying to @CWatkinsWDSU
.@NOLAFireDept: building is unstable. Further collapse of the building is possible. There’s a HUGE crane hanging, that weighs several tons. That’s the fear right now @wdsu

NOLA Ready said the New Orleans Fire Department, New Orleans Emergency Medical Services, and the New Orleans Police Department are responding to the structure collapse at Canal and North Rampart streets.

[Applewood]

Just saw this on the local news.  Sheesh!  Who is building this hotel?  The same guys who built all those apartment buildings in the old Soviet Union which collapsed every other week?

Prayers for the dead and injured. 

[thackney]

Search continues for missing worker after Hard Rock hotel construction site collapse
https://www.wdsu.com/article/search-resumes-for-missing-person-at-hard-rock-hotel-construction-site-collapse/29447762#

Two days after the partial collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel construction site in downtown New Orleans, the search continues for a missing worker.

The search is happening even though Fire Chief Tim McConnell warns there is still a risk of further collapse....

[thackney]

Drone video of Hard Rock Hotel collapse in New Orleans
https://wgno.com/2019/10/12/drone-video-of-hard-rock-hotel-collapse-in-new-orleans/

[mountaineer]

Just saw this on the local news.  Sheesh!  Who is building this hotel?  The same guys who built all those apartment buildings in the old Soviet Union which collapsed every other week?

Indeed! I understand now two are dead.

[truth_seeker]

Which engineering and/or construction firm is involved?

Which government building plan approval &  inspection department is involved?

Levees? Busses?

No joking about those injured and dead, btw.

[thackney]

Video of the collapse from the street level view at:

https://www.wdsu.com/article/search-resumes-for-missing-person-at-hard-rock-hotel-construction-site-collapse/29447762

Scroll down about halfway

[thackney]

Which engineering and/or construction firm is involved?

Which government building plan approval &  inspection department is involved?

Levees? Busses?

No joking about those injured and dead, btw.

..."Citadel Builders LLC was contracted by Kailas Companies, owner of the project, to build the Hard Rock Hotel based on a brand licensing agreement with Hard Rock International, the future manager of the hotel.

"Hard Rock has had no involvement in the construction of the project. We want to extend our deepest sympathies to victims of this tragic accident and to their loved ones and friends."...

Harry Baker Smith is the architect.

https://www.nola.com/news/article_32bf6f0c-ed19-11e9-bbf3-83ac53629e42.html

[Applewood]

You all know there will be a massive lawsuit over this.  Hard Rock might not have been involved in the construction, but for sure it will be one of numerous parties to this suit.  Plaintiffs' attorneys always go for the ones with the deep pockets. 

[Hoodat]

Both cranes at Hard Rock collapse site in danger of falling, evacuation zone expanded

The new assessment has forced emergency officials to rethink their current approach to stabilizing the cranes and building.

NEW ORLEANS — New assessments show that both cranes at the Hard Rock Hotel construction night are unstable, forcing officials to expand the evacuation area beyond Canal Street.

The evacuation zone now expands past Canal Street, between Burgundy Street and Elk Place. It already included the area surrounded by Conti, Bienville and Burgundy Streets.

"Both cranes are heavily damaged," Fire Chief Tim McConnell said. "Both are in danger of collapsing ... Our goal is still to stabilize them and continue our search in a safe manner."

The new assessment has forced emergency officials to rethink their current approach to stabilizing the cranes and building.  .  .  .

https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/local/orleans/evacuation-zone-expanded-around-hard-rock-hotel-collapse-site/289-0ce8c957-b8ab-4623-a05b-bdc136df70d3

Video

[Fishrrman]

Looks like the only thing to do is "finish the demolition" -- take it right down to the ground and start over.
With a new architect, a new design, and new contractors.

[Elderberry]

Engineer weighs in on Hard Rock Hotel collapse: 'Logically it doesn't make sense'

https://www.theadvertiser.com/story/news/2019/10/14/hard-rock-hotel-collapse-new-orleans/3979427002/

On Saturday morning, structural engineer Walter Zehner’s phone rang with news of a devastating construction collapse on a site he once worked.

The plan for 1031 Canal St. had completely changed since Zehner left the project approximately three years ago, moving from a mixed use retail/residential design to what was planned to be a Hard Rock Hotel.

When Zehner arrived at the downtown construction site Saturday, he saw six to eight concrete levels had collapsed, the edges hanging down the side of the building as if they’d melted.

“It was a lot worse than I could have imagined,” Zehner said. “And I’ve seen the videos of the collapse and it’s kind of hard to figure out exactly what was going on there."

In his career, Zehner has designed complex structures such as the Astor Crowne Plaza in the French Quarter, which he said is “very similar” to the planned Hard Rock Hotel.

But he’s also spent time as a trial witness tasked with explaining exactly how builds go wrong.

“It’s almost like problem solving, like being a detective,” Zehner said. “I’m sure eventually I’m going to be called by somebody’s attorney to help them on this one.”

More at link.