BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 1, 2024 (UPI) — Three people were killed and another nine were injured when a hangar being constructed on the property of the Boise Airport collapsed on Wednesday, authorities and officials said.
The building collapsed on the Boise Airport airfield near W Rickenbacker and Luke Streets. Officials said that though the incident happened on airport property, it was a private construction project.
The City of Boise announced the death toll in a statement late Wednesday after Aaron Hummel, operations chief for the Boise Fire Department, said in an earlier press conference that 12 people were caught in the collapse but could not reveal if there were any fatalities, nor the conditions of those injured until families had been notified.
Of the nine injured, five were listed in critical condition and were receiving care at local hospitals, the city said. The identities of the deceased will be released by the Ada County Coroner’s Office pending notification of next of kin.
“The Boise Airport, City of Boise and all first responders extend their deepest sympathies to those impacted.”
The Boise Fire Department was notified of the incident at about 5 p.m., according to Hummel who described it as a “large-scale collapse.”
The hangar was under construction. A rigid steel frame had been erected and workers were in the process of connecting structural components, Hummel said during the Wednesday evening press conference, adding that the collapse of the building also brought down a construction crane.
“I don’t know what caused it, but I can tell you that it was a pretty global collapse that occurred. The main structural members came down. It was fairly catastrophic,” Hummel added.
A search-and-rescue operation was launched but was called off when all those in and around the building were accounted for. Hummel said there were some “challenging” rescues that required hoists to aid responders in accessing those trapped in the wreckage.
The site has since been secured and crews will remain on scene, the city said, adding that an investigation into the cause of the collapse was ongoing.
Though the Boise Airport has not been affected, the Idaho State Police had warned that traffic on nearby I-84 had experienced issues and the Boise Fire Department said Wright Street had been closed. The city said it will remain that way throughout the night.
“Please use caution and stay alert while driving through the area,” Idaho State Police said in a statement on X.
Eight fire engines, three ladder trucks and a dozen ambulances, among other assets, responded to the scene, according to Hummel.
“We have a lot of investigating to do,” he said.
