A Chicago worker has died after he was trapped under a 141-year-old building that collapsed in Bronzeville on the morning of January 12.
The three-story building located on the 700 block of East Oakwood Boulevard fell and trapped the worker under up to 5 feet of debris. Although the worker was trapped for only an hour, he was pronounced dead after being pulled free and rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The unnamed man was trapped along with two other coworkers.
Still and box building collapse 700 block East OAKWOOD. One person unaccounted for search underway pic.twitter.com/JGNuHtaCln
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) January 12, 2023
The Chicago Fire Department reported that three workers in total were inside the Bronzeville building when part of it came down. The cause of the collapse hasn’t been specified, but Deputy Fire Chief Shun T. Haynes said, “They just said they were working, and all of a sudden, the building just came down. How that happened, we have absolutely no idea at this time.”
Worker still trapped EMS attempting to work. pic.twitter.com/nwFC3VUYzu
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) January 12, 2023
The Chicago fire chief said that while trying to rescue the workers, they were unable to use equipment because the rubble was so delicate that it could rock the unstable building.
“We’re constantly concerned about a secondary collapse,” Haynes explained. “In order to get the debris away from the affected area as safe as possible, so yes, it’s a hand-by-hand operation.” It took them 45 minutes to painstakingly dig them free from the wreckage.
Prior to the collapse, the building was going through interior demolition. Still, it’s been found that the work being done just before the incident was “not in compliance with DOB [Department of Buildings] approved plans for demolition.”
The Chicago Fire Department is still investigating the exact cause of the collapse.
