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U.S. NEWS Monday 14 october 2019

New Orleans hotel collapse:
Search on for a missing worker

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — been worse. He wanted to celed through the end of
Rescue crews on Sunday make sure his co-workers its run next weekend. She
sought to find a worker were safe. He was envi- urged patience because it
missing in the rubble of a sioning the two who were could take weeks or even
New Orleans hotel that par- on the floor with him," months to clean up the
tially collapsed while under Cantrell said. Crews on area.
construction, proceeding Sunday were assembling a "This structure is not stable.
with caution because the 220,000-pound (99,800-ki- We want people to stay
dangerous of working in logram) crane driven into away from the area. How Debris hangs on the side of the building after a large portion of a
the unstable building, au- the city overnight to begin we touch it — it just mat- hotel under construction suddenly collapsed in New Orleans on
thorities said. the delicate process of re- ters," the mayor said.q Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. Associated Press
Officials declined to say if moving the large amount
they have any indication of fallen debris, McConnell
whether the missing work- said.
er is alive after Saturday's The project's contractor,
collapse. New Orleans Citadel Builders LLC, was
Fire Chief Tim McConnell flying in engineers from Eu-
said they are treating their rope to help crews remove
work as a rescue mission debris without risking the
until they have evidence life of the missing person or
the missing person is dead nearby buildings and aid in
along with two other peo- the investigation, officials
ple killed when a large said. Neither Citadel Build-
part of the Hard Rock Hotel ers nor emergency offi-
project crashed down near cials have commented on
the city's historic French any potential cause of the
Quarter."Safety is the No. building collapse.
1 thing. The last thing you The new Hard Rock Hotel
want to do when you are was under construction
trying to rescue somebody at the corner of Rampart
is lose someone else," Mc- Street and Canal Street, a
Connell said at a news broad boulevard just out-
conference Sunday. side the French Quarter
Several floors of the hotel that is lined with restaurants
toppled down Saturday hotels and retailers. Canal,
amid blinding dust and which carries six lanes of
flying debris. WWL-TV ob- traffic divided by a wide
tained a viewer's dramatic median where streetcars
video of upper floors col- roll, separates the Quarter
lapsing Saturday before from the city's main busi-
one side of the building ness district.
crashed to the street. Officials warned massive
New Orleans Mayor LaToya disruptions in the area will
Cantrell told media outlets likely last for weeks. Reports
later Sunday that the body said about 100 residents in
of one of the two dead has the mandatory evacuation
been recovered and the zone have been displaced
coroner's office is working from their homes. And some
to identify the victim. debris from the building fell
Thirty people were injured. on the roof of the Saenger
Only one remains in the Theatre. Cantrell said the
hospital. The mayor visited exact damage to the the-
the man, who had surgery ater has not been deter-
for a leg injury. mined, but productions of
"He told me it could have "Wicked" have been can-