HOUSTON — A building collapse in west Houston Monday afternoon left three people dead and another worker injured.
The injured man was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital, according to the Houston Fire Department. He is reportedly in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.
All 240 construction workers have been accounted for, according to the Houston Fire Department.
The 15-story building is under construction near I-10 and Beltway 8, west of City Centre.
According to HFD, the building's interior stairwell collapsed around 1:30 p.m.
Inspectors said the building itself is not in danger of collapsing, but they are worried about a secondary collapse in the stairwell.
"It is far too early to determine what's the structural cause," HFD Assistant Chief Ruy Lozano said. "But I can tell you anytime there's a primary collapse, our biggest concern is a second collapse. That's why we're not permitting any other rescuers until we can confirm the stability of the structure."
Fire officials said their primary objective is to make sure the building is structurally safe before more inspectors and fire crews are allowed inside.
The contractor issued the following statement Monday evening:
"Harvey Builders is working with the Houston Fire Department, our subcontractor East Texas Precast, and Hines, the project’s development manager, to investigate a fatal accident involving the collapse of a stairway."
The high-rise in the 990 block of Town and Country Boulevard is slated to be Marathon Oil's new headquarters in 2021.
"We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those contractors who were affected and thank the first responders. We have offered our assistance to the building contractors as they respond to this accident," Marathon Oil said in a statement.
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