New Jersey Parking Garage Collapses
 

At least 1 dead in N.J. parking garage collapse

(CNN) --At least one person was killed and 12 are missing Thursday after six stories of a parking garage under construction at an Atlantic City, New Jersey, casino collapsed, a spokeswoman for Mayor Lorenzo Langford said.

At least 22 others were injured in the garage collapse at the Tropicana and Casino Resort, which occurred at 10:30 a.m. EST, authorities said.

A witness in a building near the site said she heard a large rumble, looked out her window and saw the structure -- with workers atop it -- fall.

Fourteen people were taken to Atlantic City Medical Center's City Division, where 10 were in the trauma unit, said hospital spokeswoman Debbie Wrigley. Four others were at the center's Mainland Division, 20 miles outside of Atlantic City, she said.

Another two victims were carried to Shore Memorial Hospital, a spokeswoman said.

The 2,400-space parking lot is part of a construction project to be called The Quarter. It was projected to be completed in March.

According to the plans submitted to investors, the Tropicana will be the largest hotel and the third-largest casino and the only indoor dining/entertainment/retail complex in the city once the work is complete.

Construction on the $225 million project, which is intended to evoke images of Old Havana, began in April 2002.

The resort is owned by Aztar Corp. A woman who answered the phone at the company said she could not say whether the project would be completed as scheduled. "I cannot tell you anything right now," she said.








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I was in the airport when I saw this report. At that time, they didn't know about any casualties, only the injuries. Some guy sitting near me seemed upset that the news kept reporting on the story. He said that it wasn't newsworthy because (at the time) there were no deaths, only injuries. I wanted to slap him.

I just hope this didn't happen because somebody was trying to save money during the construction. Such a tragedy.