HOUSTON — The partial collapse Monday of a temporary stairwell inside a 15-story office building west of downtown Houston killed three people and injured a fourth.
The collapse, which was reported just after 1:30 p.m., appeared to involve newly constructed stairs, starting at the building’s 13th or 14th floor, KTRK reported.
@HoustonFire Dept. Technical Rescue Team is actively responding to a #buildingcollapse in West Houston. Three confirmed fatalities, one victim transported to nearby hospital in stable condition. HFD asks for thought and prayers for the victims and their family. @FireChiefofHFD pic.twitter.com/goGiZ4Fnso
— Houston Fire Dept (@HoustonFire) October 5, 2020
Assistant Fire Chief Ruy Lozano confirmed the fatalities and said the building was too unstable for responding firefighters to enter, the TV station reported.
Alanna Reed, a public works spokeswoman, told NBC News that a new construction permit for the office tower was issued in November and that regular inspections were previously scheduled for Monday.
According to KTRK, the building will house Houston-based Marathon Oil’s new headquarters once completed, and a company spokesman offered the following statement:
“We are saddened to learn that an accident occurred at the construction site for the future Houston headquarters of Marathon Oil. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those contractors who were affected and thank the first responders. We have offered our assistance to the building contractors as they respond to this accident.”
Lozano told the TV station that 240 construction workers were on the site at the time of the collapse, and all have been accounted for.
The fire department said the injured person was stable and had been taken to a local hospital, NBC News reported.
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