2
17
At least one person has died and two others remain trapped after an under-construction Hard Rock Hotel partially collapsed Saturday in New Orleans.
New Orleans Fire Chief Timothy McConnell said rescue teams are unable to locate the trapped individuals inside the building, but believe one is in an area that's easy to access while the other is confined in a part of the building that is unstable.
Crews were gearing up to enter the building Saturday evening to try and rescue the two.
"We have first responders going into a very dangerous building right now, trying to do their job," a spokesperson for New Orleans Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness said at a press conference. "Please keep them in your thoughts."
The collapse sent 18 people to local hospitals, according to EMS Director Emily Nichols. The victims transported for treatment were now "all stable."