Rescue Efforts Continue On 4th Day At Hard Rock Hotel
It is day four of rescue operations at the Hard Rock Hotel collapse in New Orleans and officials remain hopeful that a missing construction worker may be found still alive. There has been no shift in the structure or cranes, but New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell says with the uncertainty of stability, they are being very thorough in accounting for rescue workers.
“Every moment someone is in that building, there is someone at the door with strict accountability for every single person that is in that building and comes in and out of that building. There’s someone at that door. They go in with a plan that’s written to say exactly where they are going to be operating,” said McConnell.
Authorities believe they have narrowed down the possible location of the missing individual. McConnell says workers have been informed of an audible cue in the event that movement is detected in the structure that could result in further collapse.
“You will hear three airhorns, twice in a row, then a pause, and then they will do it again until everyone is cleared from the building. You may also hear if you are standing next to someone with a radio, they’ll be saying ‘Evacuate evacuate evacuate! Evacuate evacuate evacuate!'” said McConnell.
McConnell says some of the best building collapse experts from around the country have come to assist in the rescue efforts.
“There is no exaggeration there, I promise you the people that we have here have taken on the biggest jobs in this country from Oklahoma City to 9/11,” said McConnell.
Two construction workers have been confirmed dead as a result of Saturday’s collapse and the area is still considered extremely dangerous to pedestrian and car traffic.