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Casualties Reported As Hard Rock Hotel In New Orleans Collapses

Casualties Reported As Hard Rock Hotel In New Orleans Collapses

It was under construction with building staff still being accounted for

Amelia Ward

Amelia Ward

One fatality and a number of casualties have been confirmed after a Hard Rock Hotel in downtown New Orleans collapsed, leaving people scrambling for cover.

Shocking images of the disaster shows the top floors of the building, which is currently under construction, fall to the ground, with a huge cloud of dust erupting up in to the air.

The new hotel is located on Canal Street, a major route through the centre of the city, and also a popular tourist destination.

Fire and police departments arrived at the scene, with authorities confirming to nola.com that there were multiple casualties, with three people still missing.

New Orleans Fire Department spokesperson Tim McConnell said the structure of the upper building remains very unstable.

At least one person is dead and several people are unaccounted for, according to Louisiana State Governor John Bel Edwards.

Various images posted on Twitter by the city's fire department show the full extent of the damage.

A number of building staff were working on the construction site, with the numbers still being accounted for.

As reported by nola.com, an eyewitness said: "It was a deep, rumbling sound, like an airplane maybe. It drew my head immediately. It looked like the concrete just slid from the top all the way down to the street.

"The concrete just started to slide down the side."

He explained how one person had a very lucky escape, adding: "One guy - I don't know how he was spared - there was rubble all around him."

The city's emergency response authorities have urged locals and tourists to avoid the area, with the structure still unsteady.

It tweeted: "This is an active scene. Please avoid the area & listen to public safety officials. "

The new hotel was set to open in spring 2020, with 350 rooms for hotel guests, in addition to 62 one and two-bedroom units available for purchase.

More to follow...

Featured Image Credit: Twitter/NOLAFireDept

Amelia is a journalist at LADbible. After studying journalism at Liverpool John Moores and Salford Uni (don't ask), she went into PR and then the world of music. After a few years working on festivals and events, she went back to her roots. In her spare time, Amelia likes music, Liverpool FC, and spending good, quality time with her cat, Paul. You can contact Amelia at [email protected].

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