Disturbing video has emerged showing a hospital parking lot partially collapsing in Philadelphia, leading to the tragic death of a construction worker and leaving two others unaccounted for.
The incident occurred Wednesday afternoon when all seven levels of a staircase in a parking garage under construction at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia collapsed, resulting in part of the roof caving in.
Emergency services quickly rescued three workers from the debris, and they were transported to a local hospital. Unfortunately, one of them later succumbed to their injuries, while the other two have since been released from medical care.
Philadelphia Mayor Sherrell Parker shared on Thursday evening that the two remaining workers are presumed dead after a search dog was deployed at the scene.
While the identities of the deceased have yet to be disclosed, Parker confirmed that all were associated with Ironworkers Local 401.
“We mourn their loss tonight and continue to stand shoulder to shoulder in support of the families directly affected,” she stated.
Demolition of the remaining structure is scheduled to start Friday afternoon, as authorities aim to locate the missing workers.
“We are focused on seeing the demolition of the building occur safely, working extremely hard to ensure that human souls can be recovered and returned to their families with dignity and with much prayer,” Parker added.
Deputy Police Chief John Stanford mentioned that Grays Ferry Avenue will be closed off between 29th and 33rd Streets.
Precast Services, a subcontractor based in Ohio, was in the process of installing a significant piece of concrete when “a portion of the precast roof failed” and fell to the level below, initiating the collapse of the entire atrium.
The mayor noted that the precast components were manufactured away from the site and installed by their originators.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is spearheading the inquiry into the collapse, with officials already on-site.
“We will get to the bottom of what happened here. The investigation will require meticulous attention to detail, and we will ensure transparency throughout the process,” Parker remarked.
The garage was meant to expand the parking facilities for CHOP’s staff, but local residents had previously expressed significant concerns over traffic and environmental issues associated with the proposal.
“At this time, our priority is the safety of our construction workers, and we are collaborating closely with the City of Philadelphia and our construction partners,” CHOP stated.
