2 missing workers presumed dead after Philadelphia parking garage collapse

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — The two workers who were unaccounted for following the partial collapse of a parking garage in Philadelphia are now presumed dead, Mayor Cherelle Parker announced Thursday night.

Parker said four highly trained search dogs combed through the rubble Thursday but did not detect any signs of life after Wednesday’s collapse in the 3000 block of Grays Ferry Avenue.

Three people were rescued shortly after crews arrived at the scene. One victim was taken to an area hospital, where they were later pronounced dead. Two others were treated and released.

The victims have not yet been publicly identified, but Parker said all were members of Ironworkers Local 401.

“We grieve their loss tonight, and we will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder in support of the families who have been directly impacted,” she added

WATCH: Video shows moment Philadelphia parking garage partially collapses

Demolition operation set to begin

City officials said demolition of the collapsed structure is expected to begin Friday as crews work to safely recover the victims’ remains.

“We will bring it down to a level that will then allow our technical rescue specialists to safely enter and go through those collapsed stairs. And we will, in an extremely dignified manner, remove any remains,” Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson said.

Officials stressed the structure remains extremely unstable and is under constant supervision. Initial plans called for deconstruction but have shifted to demolition on the advice of several engineering experts.

“We will continue to remove hazards around the building and prepare to protect critical infrastructure and adjacent buildings,” Managing Director Adam Thiel said.

Overnight and into Friday, crews will work to protect critical infrastructure and assemble a large crane in preparation for next steps. Plans will be finalized between noon and 8 p.m. Friday.

“Once that final approval is complete and everybody agrees we will begin deconstruction,” added Thiel, calling it a very complex and extremely dangerous incident.

Searching for signs of life

Before the decision was made to begin demolition, emergency crews used specialized equipment and canines to search for any remaining signs of life.

Thompson said drones, robots and four search dogs were deployed Thursday, but none indicated survivors.

“We were confident that what we were dealing with was no longer a rescue, but a recovery. So we shifted strategy at that point, and we all agreed as a unified command that we would take down the building,” Thompson explained.

Road closures still in place

City officials are continuing to urge residents to avoid the area.

Deputy Commissioner John Stanford said Grays Ferry Avenue will remain closed between 29th and 33rd streets. The nearby shopping plaza will also remain closed until further notice.

“That process will continue to go for a few days until this area is deemed safe enough to allow the public to begin to return,” Stanford said Thursday.

The stairwell collapsed floor by floor

The parking garage is owned by the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, and all eight required permits were properly issued and inspections were up to date, according to Parker. She said the city will investigate the collapse.

“We will get to the damn bottom of what happened here. The investigation is going to require that we cross every T and dot every I, and we will empower the tool of transparency while we are doing it,” Parker said Thursday.

Officials said Precast Services Inc., a subcontractor on the site, was installing precast concrete floor decking and roof segments on Wednesday. After placement, a precast roof segment failed and fell to the level below, triggering a progressive collapse of connected sections across all seven levels.

Parker said the precast concrete components were manufactured off-site and installed by the manufacturer.

“This process does not require standard L&I inspection. Instead, it falls under required special inspections that include periodic inspections for precast concrete installations. These inspections were assigned to Valerie Moody of GAI Construction Monitoring Services,” Parker explained.

The hospital said in a statement that it is prioritizing the construction workers’ safety and working closely with the city and its construction partners.

Drone 6 video showed a large pile of debris in an area where the stairwell once stood, along with significant cracks running down a corner of the building.

In doorbell video obtained by Action News, you can see the tragedy unfold from several blocks away.

One witness described the structure collapsing floor by floor.

“The floors was like, going one by one as it was like collapsing. And then there was a guy that was trapped underneath,” recalled Kurtis Carter of Southwest Philadelphia.

Others initially thought an earthquake had struck.

“I was in the kitchen, and we heard like an explosion, thought it was a storm, bomb…we didn’t know what it was,” said Andrew Martines of Grays Ferry. “My wife, she was upstairs, and she heard people screaming and running out. She saw a huge cloud of smoke. The house was shaking.”

What we know about the victims

The identities of those involved have not been released.

Action News spoke with union members and others familiar with the workers, who described the emotional toll of the tragedy.

“Things like this happen every day all around the world. You just never think it’s gonna be you, or somebody that you know, somebody that you cared for. And it happened to us yesterday,” said a member of the union who did not want to be identified.

“There’s a lot of guys that are coming down today to offer help, to see what we can do. Anything that we can do, we will, even if it’s putting our own lives at risk. We’ll do it just to get our brothers out of there,” the worker added.

Speaking at a City Council hearing Thursday, Council President Kenyatta Johnson called for a moment of silence.

“We are reminded of the dangers that many of our hardworking men and women of the building trades face every day to support their families and build our city,” said Johnson.

Controversy over the project

The seven-level parking garage was under construction for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. It was being built to expand CHOP employee parking.

“We are prioritizing the safety of the construction workers at this time and working closely with the City of Philadelphia and our construction partners. We will share additional information as it becomes available,” said CHOP in a statement to Action News.

The project had been the subject of controversy, including protests earlier this year. The group that protested was concerned about the increased congestion and potential impacts on environmental health.

Community members said they’re even more concerned than they were before, but Wednesday night, their thoughts remain with families of those impacted.

“Even if they didn’t live in 19146, they worked in our community. Therefore, they belonged to us. They’re part of our community,” said DeMorra Hawkins, a member of No CHOP Garage Coalition, who has protested at the site earlier this year.

How will OSHA be involved?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will lead the investigation into the collapse. OSHA personnel are already on scene and will conduct interviews and a comprehensive review of the construction work.

“What OSHA is going to be looking at, and L&I is going to be looking at, is whether there were any issues with either prefabricated materials or the concrete pour of the steps themselves,” said Aidan Carickhoff of the law firm Saltz Mongeluzzi Bendesky. “So they’ll be digging back through all of the pour materials and all the construction information to make sure that that part of the job was done correctly.”

Permits list HSC Builders as the general contractor. The company develops large-scale projects, including life science facilities and museums.

OSHA will review whether the stairwell and other structural elements were built to engineering specifications. Work by subcontractors and material suppliers will also be examined.

But for now, construction is on hold.

“OSHA will stop the work so that they can inspect the integrity of that building. We’ve been involved in a lot of building collapse cases before and the work will be stopped so that OSHA and L&I can make sure no one else gets injured on this construction site,” Carickhoff explained.

OSHA’s investigation will likely take at least six months due to the backlog within the agency. A written report and any citations or violations will be made public.