Three people died and nine more were injured when it was on private property aircraft hangar under construction collapsed in Boise, Idaho, on Wednesday.
Five of those injured in the collapse, which occurred at 5pm local time on Wednesday, were in critical condition at nearby hospitals, according to a city press release. The collapse, which occurred at Boise Airport’s airfield, did not affect the airport.
Police said the collapse was due to a fallen crane. according to local channel KTVQ.
Meridian, Idaho-based Big D Builders was building the hangar, a company spokesperson told Construction Dive. The contractor declined to comment further.
City records show Big D Builders had obtained permits to build a 39,000-square-foot aircraft hangar for the Jackson Jet Center, NPR reported. The $6.2 million project was to include construction of a concrete foundation and metal building.
Firefighters worked to stabilize the collapse and rescue the injured. Boise Police, Gowen Fire Department and Ada County Paramedics also responded to the scene, with a total of eight fire trucks, three ladder trucks, two security officers, two battalion, a division chief, a heavy rescue unit and a dozen ambulances, according to the city. release
“There was a large-scale collapse of the building, the framework of the building. I don’t know what caused it, but I can tell you it was a pretty comprehensive collapse,” Boise Fire Department Chief of Operations Aaron Hummel said at a news conference Wednesday. according to CNN. “It was pretty catastrophic.”
OSHA officials have begun investigating the collapse. The agency does not comment on ongoing investigations.
The identities of those killed and injured in the collapse were not released at press time.
