People near New Orleans historic French Quarter await orders to get out ahead of hotel blast
ASSOCIATED PRESS
A ship floats on the Mississippi River by the Hard Rock Hotel construction site in New Orleans. The Hard Rock Hotel partially collapsed last week.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pedestrians walk on Canal street near the Hard Rock Hotel construction site in New Orleans. The Hard Rock Hotel partially collapsed last week leaving many workers injured, 3 confirmed dead.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Workers begin the process of preparing the two unstable cranes for implosion at the collapse site of the Hard Rock Hotel, which underwent a partial, major collapse while under construction last Sat., Oct., 12, in New Orleans. Plans have been pushed back a day to bring down two giant, unstable construction cranes in a series of controlled explosions before they can topple onto historic New Orleans buildings, the city’s fire chief said Friday, noting the risky work involved in placing explosive on the towers.
NEW ORLEANS >> People living and working near a corner of New Orleans’ historic French Quarter are being told they should prepare to leave for several hours as preparations continue for a controlled explosion at a partially collapsed building.
Workers hope to safely bring down two giant, badly damaged construction cranes that have been looming over the site ever since a hotel building under construction partially collapsed a week ago. Authorities expect to complete preparations and bring down the cranes in a series of controlled explosions as early as Saturday afternoon. They’ve been worried all week that the structures could topple onto neighboring buildings.
Three workers died in last weekend’s disaster. Two bodies remain amid the wreckage. An existing evacuation zone around the site will be expanded when preparations for demolition are complete.
