New Orleans officials say the chances of a missing worker’s survival after a hotel collapse are diminishing, and they have shifted their efforts from rescue to recovery mode.
News outlets report Fire Department Superintendent Tim McConnell says they shifted Wednesday ahead of a possible tropical storm.
One worker was previously confirmed dead inside the rubble but crews have not been able to recover the body. Another worker is still missing, but McConnell says chances of his survival will be considered nearly “zero” if no sign of him turns up by Wednesday night. The workers’ families have been notified.
A large section of a Hard Rock Hotel under construction beside New Orleans’ historic French Quarter collapsed Saturday.
Meanwhile, officials said the possibility of further collapse at the site remains a concern.