(WatchDogReport.org) – An airplane hangar in Idaho collapsed during construction on January 31 at around 5:00 pm on the airfield at Boise Airport, close to W. Rickenbacker St. and Luke St. There were three fatalities and nine injuries reported at the scene. Five of the nine injured were brought to area hospitals; their conditions are listed as critical as of this writing.
The building was a privately owned hangar that was being constructed on land near the airstrip at Boise Airport. According to Boise municipal permitting documents, the contractor, Big D Builders, acquired permits to build the jet hangar. According to an official, the facility is located on airport property, but it is not a Boise Airport project.
Boise Fire, Gowen Field Fire, and Ada County Paramedics were among the units that responded to the call. Ambulance personnel arrived to a chaotic situation and immediately began securing and rescuing individuals. There was a heavy rescue unit, twelve ambulances, two safety officers, three ladder trucks, eight fire engines, two battalion heads, and one division chief. Because of the severity of the collapse, the first responding fire departments had to work quickly to stabilize the area.
Specialist rescue operations were necessary since several of the victims were on elevated platforms when the structure collapsed. A crane also fell during the event.
Some of the wounded required hoists for rescue.
One witness, Cody McGowan, about 100 yards from the site, said the collapse initially sounded like a dog howling and whining.
Firefighters from Boise declared that the collapse site was safe and that the public was not in danger but that Wright Street would be blocked all night. Although the airport remained unaffected, the Idaho State Police said the event led to traffic problems on Interstate 84. This incident did not affect the operations of Boise Airport or any city-owned facilities.
Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are investigating. The cause of the collapse, at this time, remains unknown.
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