OAKLAND, Calif. _ Thirteen workers, some left trapped knee-deep in wet concrete and others dangling from scaffolding, were injured Friday morning when a building under construction in the Pill Hill area of Oakland partially collapsed, authorities said.
Some were taken to hospitals and no fatalities or major injuries have been reported, Oakland police said. Workers were in the process of pouring concrete on the second floor when the collapse happened, officials said.
Some workers were able to get to safety on their own and others were assisted by firefighters. Footage from a news helicopter showed firefighters tending to at least three workers, two of whom were strapped to stretchers.
The collapse was reported about 9:40 a.m. near Summit Medical Center.
What caused the structure to fail was not immediately known.
The site, 3093 Broadway, is the former Bay City Chevy dealership and slated to become 423 wood-framed apartments over two stories that include concrete podiums and retail space on the ground floor, according to the website of the general contractor, Johnstone Moyer Inc. A person who answered the phone at the San Carlos-based company declined to comment.
A spokeswoman for the developer, CityView, did not immediately have information.
The project is part of a larger plan to turn the old Auto Row on Broadway into a neighborhood with homes and retail. The construction site abuts Sprouts Market.
Jerry Ogden was on the 10th floor of the nearby medical center when the collapse happened, and said he and others "felt a small shake. Everyone assumed it was a small earthquake and we just went about our business."
Besides first responders, representatives from the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health were also headed to the scene.
Numerous streets in the area were shut down during the rescue operation.
