A search and rescue mission continued Monday afternoon at the site of the New Orleans Hard Rock Hotel collapse, the building catastrophically failing Saturday morning. The 18-story building was being constructed at the edge of the French Quarter on the corner of Canal and North Rampart.
Many Workers Injured, Two Confirmed Dead, One Missing in Building Failure
About 100 workers were in and around the building at the time of its collapse. All but one have been accounted for by officials. New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell and Fire Department Superintendent Tim McConnell advised the media that they’ve not given up hope that the lone unaccounted-for worker might yet be found alive.
Two workers have been confirmed dead as a result of the Hard Rock Hotel collapse. The body of one of the victims has been recovered and transported to the Orleans Parish Medical Examiner’s Office. This victim has been identified as Anthony Magrette.
The remains of the second fatality are in a section of the wrecked building that is unstable. Thus, emergency personnel have yet to be able to transport the remains offsite. Because the site remains largely inaccessible to rescue personnel, those involved in the search mission are relying on drones, search dogs, listening devices, and infrared equipment.
30 workers were transported to area hospitals on Saturday to treat injuries. As of Monday morning, only one worker remained hospitalized, having undergone fairly extensive surgery to address his injuries. He is expected to recover.
Remains of New Orleans Hard Rock Hotel Highly Unstable, Evacuations Ordered
Nearby buildings and surrounding streets were evacuated on Saturday and remained closed on Monday afternoon. Due to the drastic destabilization of the building and one of the two cranes used in the construction of the hotel, the surrounding zone is considered highly dangerous.
In addition to the area evacuation order, nine businesses in the neighborhood have had their electric and gas services cut off for the time being. 37 families living in the area were forced from their homes. At the present time, they have been put up in an area hotel pending a termination of the evacuation order.
In order to stabilize the site, two additional cranes were brought to the scene following the collapse. As of Monday, officials had no specific timeframe for when the collapsed hotel would be stabilized and the surrounding area and buildings would be opened. At least two neighboring buildings suffered damage as a result of the Hard Rock Hotel collapse. No real information is available about the extent of damage to these nearby buildings because of the evacuation order keeping inspectors at bay.
With Monday being Columbus Day, a federal holiday, schools and a number of businesses were closed for the holiday. These holiday closures kept traffic near the New Orleans Hard Rock Hotel a bit sparser than normally is the case. That will change when people return to their normal routines following the long weekend.
Investigation on Hold Until Construction Site Deemed Safe
State and federal investigators are at the scene of the New Orleans hotel collapse. They’ve not yet been able to do much in the way of investigating the cause of the collapse due to the dangerous instability of the site. Thus far, no information has been released regarding the potential causes of the building’s demise.
Compensation for Injuries, Damages, and Losses
Workers injured in a situation like the New Orleans Hard Rock Hotel collapse have a right to seek appropriate financial compensation for their losses. Families of people killed in this type of catastrophe have the same types of rights to seek suitable compensation as well. Indeed, those people who lived in the area surrounding the collapsed building as well as nearby business owners may also be in positions to make claims for their losses.
The Doan Law Firm, a nationwide law practice, has a team of personal injury lawyers with experience in representing victims of construction site accidents, including major calamities like the New Orleans building collapse. A consultation with a Doan Law Firm construction site accident lawyer can be arranged by calling (800) 349-0000, 24 hours a day and 365 days a year. No fee is charged for an initial consultation. Doan Law Firm has an attorney fee promise. No fee is ever charged unless a client prevails in a case.