A hangar at Boise Airport in Idaho collapsed on Wednesday, killing three people and injuring nine others, according to officials.
The privately owned building was under construction when it collapsed at approximately 5 p.m. local time , the City of Boise said in a statement.
The three people killed died at the scene, and five of the wounded are in a critical condition, the city said. The coroner’s office will publicly identify the victims after next of kin have been notified, it added. All victims have been accounted for, Aaron Hummel, the division chief of operations for Boise Fire Department, said during a Wednesday news conference.
The cause for the collapse was not yet clear, Hummel said, adding that an investigation was ongoing. The collapse did not affect air operations, officials said.
Share this articleShare“Tonight, there was a catastrophic collapse of a metal structure at a construction site. First responders found a hectic scene and worked to secure and rescue victims,” Hummel said in the statement.
Eight fire engines, a heavy rescue unit and a dozen ambulances were among the vehicles dispatched to the site after the collapse, the city said.
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A crane also collapsed, Hummel said during the news conference. Authorities did not say who owned the hangar, which is next to the Jackson Jet Center, which the Associated Press reported offers private airplane charters and maintenance.
One witness, Cody McGowan, told the AP he was working about 100 yards from the site when he heard a sound like a loud dog whine. He said looked up to find a hangar up to four stories tall collapsing on itself and part of the crane on top.
“It’s shocking to see a building falling in on itself,” he said.
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