One Dead, More Hurt After Collapse of Hard Rock Hotel Site in New Orleans

by Patrick Clarke
Last updated: 4:19 PM ET, Sat October 12, 2019

The partial collapse of a building at the Hard Rock Hotel construction site in New Orleans killed at least one person and injured 18 others on Saturday morning.

At least three other people were still missing as of Saturday afternoon, authorities told CNN.

The upper three floors of the building collapsed around 10:15 a.m. local time. Officials now fear that an unstable crane attached to the building could also collapse, prompting the evacuation of several surrounding buildings in the area of Canal and Rampart streets.

"Our biggest fear right now is the crane. It weighs several tons," Tim McConnell, New Orleans Fire Department Superintendent told CNN.

Dramatic video shows the moment a crane collapsed at the under-construction Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans that killed at least one person and injured several others. https://t.co/6rbKpQkV2Gpic.twitter.com/2PWJBvpgKY

- ABC News (@ABC) October 12, 2019

JUST IN via @nolaready: The @NOLAFireDept is evacuating buildings in the red zone by the Uptown side of Bienville, River side of Basin, Downtown Side of Canal and Lake side of Burgundy. If you are in this area, evacuate now! Orange area closed to traffic. @wdsupic.twitter.com/PPfdQYLk0W

- Christina Watkins (@CWatkinsWDSU) October 12, 2019

Shocking video shared via @BrienFallon:

As the under-construction Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans collapsed, vehicles and a streetcar dodged debris falling down from the construction site as captured from inside a streetcar.

LATEST info from the scene: https://t.co/54kEXtzdMMpic.twitter.com/90Vd6lqoIJ

- NOLA.com (@NOLAnews) October 12, 2019

The cause of the collapse is currently under investigation.

"There was an obvious structural failure," said Royce Duplessis, a Louisiana State Representative who was at the scene. "Structural engineers are currently assessing what led to the cause of the collapse."

Hard Rock issued the following statement:

Statement from Hard Rock International @WWLTVpic.twitter.com/kKPrqcbXnA

- Erika Ferrando WWLTV (@ErikaFerrandoTV) October 12, 2019

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