3 people killed, 9 injured after building under construction collapses at Boise Airport in Idaho

A hangar under construction at Boise Airport in Idaho collapsed on Wednesday, resulting in the tragic death of three individuals and injuries to nine others, as confirmed by officials.

Five of the injured are in critical condition, according to a statement released by the city on Wednesday night.

Authorities were alerted to the privately owned steel-framed hangar’s “catastrophic” collapse around 5 p.m., as detailed by Boise Fire Department Operations Chief Aaron Hummel during an earlier news briefing.

As of Wednesday evening, everyone present at the site had been successfully accounted for.

As per the city statement, the three individuals who lost their lives succumbed at the scene.

Responding fire crews engaged in stabilizing the area and successfully rescued multiple victims. Describing the incident as a “large-scale collapse” of the building’s framework, Hummel remarked on the chaotic nature of the scene.

Although the cause remains unknown, he emphasized that it was a comprehensive collapse. Notably, Boise Airport operations remained unaffected, as stated by officials.

While driving on Interstate 84 around 5:30 p.m., Terra Furman observed a significant presence of emergency vehicles, including at least 20 police cars, ambulances, and firetrucks, approximately a quarter mile from the airport entry.

At the site, she described a crane that appeared folded in half and a building collapsed into the shape of an “M.” Furman noted, “The walls were still up at a point and the middle collapsed in on either side.” Chief Aaron Hummel mentioned that some of the victims were on a hoist or another elevated platform at the time of the structure’s collapse, necessitating specialized rescue efforts.

He also confirmed the involvement of a collapsed crane in the incident.

Leticia Ramirez, a representative from Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, mentioned that emergency and trauma teams collaborated with first responders to provide treatment for patients arriving from the incident site. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the collapse.

The incident occurred adjacent to the Jackson Jet Center, known for providing private airplane charters and maintenance. Boise city permitting records indicate that the contractor, Big D Builders, had secured permits for the construction of a 39,000-square-foot (3,623-square-meter) jet hangar intended for Jackson Jet Center.

Jessica Flynn, the CEO of Jackson Jet Center, expressed in a statement that their thoughts are with all those impacted by this tragic incident.

Flynn mentioned that the collapse occurred just to the west of the current Jackson Jet Center at a location where the company was constructing a new hangar.

She added that dozens of individuals were on-site working when the incident took place.

This is a developing story that will be updated when more information is available.