The Associated Press
BETHESDA, Md. — A parking garage partially collapsed Thursday outside a shopping mall in suburban Maryland, and officials said one construction worker died after being trapped under a concrete slab.
Montgomery County rescuers worked to stabilize the structure for more than four hours to free a second worker. Officials said it appears a 50,000-pound section of the parking deck collapsed outside a Macy’s department store.
One man died of his injuries, and the other was taken to a hospital with serious injuries, said fire department spokeswoman Beth Anne Nesselt. The second worker, who was freed about 6 p.m., appeared to be alert and conscious when he was rescued.
Rescuers confirmed there were no other people inside the structure, said Assistant Fire Chief Scott Graham.
The parking deck was under construction during the collapse and was not open to the public. The mall is in the midst of a major redevelopment project that will place a 16-screen movie theater on top of the parking garage.
Aerial video from the scene after the partial collapse showed a large concrete slab that appeared to have fallen out of place.