On Wednesday, tragedy struck at Boise Airport in Idaho when a hangar under construction collapsed, resulting in three fatalities and injuries to nine individuals. The incident occurred at approximately 5 p.m. local time at a private business on the airport grounds. Boise Fire Department Operations Chief Aaron Hummel provided details during a news briefing, stating that the collapsed hangar had a steel frame, and it was described as a “large-scale collapse” of the building’s framework.
Emergency responders were swift in their actions, and everyone who had been present at the site was accounted for by Wednesday evening. At that time, Hummel refrained from providing details on the condition of the injured individuals or confirming any fatalities. However, a later statement from the city of Boise confirmed that three people lost their lives in the tragic incident. Among the nine injured, five were in critical condition and hospitalized.
The chaotic scene was characterized by the significant collapse of the building’s structure, deemed “catastrophic” by Hummel. He acknowledged the challenge of the rescue operation, especially for victims who were on elevated platforms at the time of the collapse. Additionally, a crane was reported to have collapsed during the incident.
Boise Airport operations remained unaffected by the tragic event. Terra Furman, a witness driving on Interstate 84 near the airport, described seeing numerous emergency vehicles around a collapsed crane and a building shaped like an ‘M.’ The walls of the structure were partially standing, but the middle had collapsed inward on both sides.
As the investigation into the collapse unfolds, authorities are working to determine the cause of this devastating incident. The names of the victims were not immediately released, and the community is left grappling with the aftermath of a construction tragedy that has claimed lives and left others in critical condition.