Tragedy struck in Boise, Idaho on Wednesday when three people were killed and another nine injured when a hanger under construction on the grounds of the Boise Airport collapsed.
Five of the injured are said to be in critical condition. Authorities are reported to have responded at 5 pm to a privately owned steel-framed hanger that suffered a complete collapse.
Authorities responded at about 5 p.m. to the privately owned steel-framed hangar, which suffered a "catastrophic" collapse, Boise Fire Department Operations Chief Aaron Hummel said during an earlier news briefing. Everyone who had been at the site had been accounted for as of Wednesday evening, he added.
"It was a very chaotic scene," Boise Fire Department Operations Chief Aaron Hummel told reporters, describing the incident as a "large-scale collapse" of the framework of the building. "I don't know what caused it, but I can tell you it was a pretty global collapse," he said.
City permit records show the contractor was Big D Builders. They obtained permission to construct a 39,000-square-foot (3,623-square-meter) jet hangar for Jackson Jet Center.
The project was to include the construction of a concrete foundation and a metal-framed building.
Red Sky PR CEO Jessica Flynn issued a statement on behalf of Jackson Jet Center. "We do not know exactly what caused the hangar collapse," the statement read. "Our focus now is on supporting our team and partners during this difficult time."
