(RepublicanNews.org) – Three are dead and nine more have been injured after a building near an airport in Idaho collapsed, according to the Boise Fire Department.
First responders arrived at the chaotic scene around 5 PM on Wednesday, January 31st, at Luke and West Rickenbacker streets in Boise, Idaho.
According to Aaron Hummel, Chief of the Boise Fire Division, the structure was an old hangar that was privately owned and under construction on the property of Boise Airport, which leased the property. The building, not far from the airfield, suffered a structural failure and collapsed. Hummel said the collapse was “pretty global,” “fairly catastrophic,” and that first responders arrived at “a hectic scene.”
Hummel said the response team was “incredibly large” and involved “many agencies.” The team included eight fire engines and three fire trucks, as well as three Airport Rescue Firefighting units, two ambulances, and multiple personnel, from battalion chiefs and safety officers to heavy rescue units and paramedics.
Hummel added that first responders “worked to secure and rescue victims,” and that the airport, all first responders, and the City of Boise “extend their deepest sympathies” to the individuals and families impacted by the catastrophe.
City officials confirmed that although the collapse site is secure and there’s no imminent threat to public safety, Wright Street would remain closed overnight and traffic issues emerged on nearby Interstate 84, according to the Idaho State Police. No buildings owned by the city were impacted by the incident, nor were any of the airport’s operations interrupted.
Boise Airport Director Rebecca Hupp released a statement the following day and called the hangar collapse “tragic” and “heartbreaking” for the airport’s team and for the Boise community. On behalf of the airport, Hupp gave condolences to the families who lost loved ones. The Ada County Coroner’s Office is set to release the names of the victims after all of their next of kin have been notified.
What caused the collapse remains unknown and is still under investigation.
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