Parking garage collapse at DC’s Watergate complex
DC Fire & EMS Department says all construction workers have been accounted for and there has been one injury after the collapse this morning of a parking garage at the Watergate complex in Northwest.
Luz Lazo & Perry Stein, The Washington Post:
A three-story parking garage collapsed at the Watergate complex on the 2600 block of Virginia Avenue NW just after 10 a.m. Friday morning.
The structure has been under construction and suffered what officials are calling a “pancake collapse”—a collapse in which one floor falls on top of another. Fire department personnel and officials from the District’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs are currently at the scene.
Fire department spokesman Oscar Mendez says firefighters were called to the scene just after 10 a.m. Friday. Mendez says three stories of the garage apparently collapsed. The area was under construction at the time.
Construction worker Gabriel Gresczyk he heard a rumble and then saw a 40-foot-by-40-foot section of earth go down, hitting the floor below it. Then he says the floor below collapsed.
Mendez says there is a report of one person being trapped. He says it’s not clear how many people may be injured.
Relevant tweets – latest first:
SQ827 has been diverted to RS2 in NW DC
— Morningside VFD, Inc (@morningsidevfd) May 1, 2015
LIVE on #Periscope: LIVE at Watergate in #DC. Parking garage collapse. Entire building evacuated https://t.co/RGlIWv5BBa
— Tom Fitzgerald (@FitzFox5DC) May 1, 2015
#FOX5DC Update: #DC Fire & EMS Report one person injured at #Watergate parking garage collapse. Minor injuries pic.twitter.com/QGgJjo9AkX
— Tom Fitzgerald (@FitzFox5DC) May 1, 2015
#watergate garage collapse. That Mazda to the left is our ride. Photo by @_minhtran pic.twitter.com/YElp3jgk3d
— Elliott Munoz (@elliottmunoz) May 1, 2015
DC Mutual Aid – #mcfrs Spec Ops BattChief, 3 K9s assisting on scene; PE701& RS741 at DC FS24, 5101 Ga Av, NW; PE706 at DC FS2, 500 F St, NW
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) May 1, 2015
#BreakingNews #FOX5C Photos from inside #DC #Watergate parking garage collapse. pic.twitter.com/urDeB5gKOe
— Tom Fitzgerald (@FitzFox5DC) May 1, 2015
#Breaking #FOX5DC Construction worker at Watergate being told to clear sidewalks after parking garage collapse #dc pic.twitter.com/zzkTWbJQxm
— Tom Fitzgerald (@FitzFox5DC) May 1, 2015
DC Mutual Aid – #mcfrs Rescue Squad 741 (Bethesda Chevy Chase) transferring (fill-in) DCFD FS24, 5101 Georgia Av, NW
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) May 1, 2015
SQ827 currently transferred to DCFD RS3.
— Morningside VFD, Inc (@morningsidevfd) May 1, 2015
#BREAKINGNEWS #FoxDc NEW pictures from inside #Watergate parking garage collapse. By Tom wall #dc pic.twitter.com/5cOIB6RcvZ
— Tom Fitzgerald (@FitzFox5DC) May 1, 2015
#FOX5DC Video. Response to parking garage collapse of Watergate Hotel pic.twitter.com/j9aeohCADY
— Tom Fitzgerald (@FitzFox5DC) May 1, 2015
DC Mutual Aid – DCFD has requested 3 #mcfrs search & rescue K9s – 3 #MCFRS dogs & handlers are enroute to DC pic.twitter.com/elRvTmrDo8
— Pete Piringer (@mcfrsPIO) May 1, 2015
#fox5dc #BREAKINGNEWS Massive response at Watergate in DC. Report of parking garage collapse pic.twitter.com/3lRA5IMuwq
— Tom Fitzgerald (@FitzFox5DC) May 1, 2015
Structural collapse: 2600 Virginia Ave Nw, pancake collapse in the parking garage, SpOps and collapse team on scene, searching the building
— DC Fire Fighters L36 (@IAFF36) May 1, 2015
Structural Collapse – 2600blk of Virginia Ave. NW – Units on scene. #dctraffic
— DC Fire and EMS (@dcfireems) May 1, 2015
