WITH THE UP TO THE MINUTE INFORMATION FROM INVESTIGATORS. WELL, THE BUILDING COLLAPSE HAPPENED AT THE OLD JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL HERE IN BLAIRSVILLE, WHERE IT’S BEEN CLOSED FOR ABOUT 20 TO 30 YEARS. BUT POLICE SAY THAT TWO MEN WERE ON A ROOF WITH A LADDER, IS INDICATING WHERE THEY WERE ACTUALLY WORKING WHEN THE ROOF COLLAPSED. THEY FELL THREE STORIES INTO THE BASEMENT. ONE MAN WAS ABLE TO CRAWL OUT WHILE FIRST RESPONDERS WENT IN TO THE BASEMENT LEVEL TO GET THE SECOND MAN WHO EVENTUALLY DIED FROM HIS INJURIES. WHEN HE WAS INTO THE GOT INTO THE BASEMENT, HE WAS HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME FINDING HIM. ENDED UP ACTUALLY COULD HEAR HIM BREATHING. AND AT THAT TIME, HE NOTICED THEM. HE WAS ACTUALLY UNDER A BUNCH OF DEBRIS. THE OFFICER AT THAT TIME STARTED REMOVING DEBRIS. HERE’S A VIEW OF THE COLLAPSED ROOF FROM SKY 4 AGAIN. THE TWO MEN WERE WORKING ON A ROOF, CONDUCTING A SURVEY. THEY WERE TRYING TO DETERMINE THE STRATEGY NEEDED FOR DEMOLITION OF THE OLD SCHOOL BUILDING. THE ROOF GAVE IN AND THEY FELL THREE STORIES. ONE OF THEM CRAWLED FROM THE BUILDING AND WAS ASSISTED BY RESIDENTS WHO LIVED NEXT DOOR. AN OCCUPANT TRAPPED INSIDE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT RESCUED THE PERSON INSIDE THAT PERSON WAS THEN LIFE FLIGHTED AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER OCCUPANT THAT WAS THEN TAKEN BY GROUND. AS FOR THE SECOND MAN, HE IS STILL IN STABLE CONDITION AT FORBES REGIONAL HOSPITAL. REPORTING FR
1 dead, 1 injured after collapse at former school building in Indiana County
Two men were on the roof when the collapse happened, Blairsville police said.
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Updated: 4:10 PM EDT Jun 15, 2023
One person died and another was in the hospital after a collapse at an old school building in Indiana County on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.Sky 4 flew over the scene on South Walnut Street in Blairsville. Two men were on the roof to assess for demolition of the building when the roof collapsed and they fell three stories to the basement, Police Chief Louis Sacco said in a statement.Sacco said one man, 63-year-old John William Plunkett of Colfax, North Carolina, was trapped inside. He said a police officer and firefighters went in and began removing debris to get the man out of the building.Plunkett was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital, where he later died, Sacco said. Blairsville police said Plunkett was the owner of the building.Top Stories Lottery ticket sold at Giant Eagle wins $1,000 a week for lifeTestimony ends in Pittsburgh synagogue shooting trial; closing arguments set for ThursdayAllegheny County homicide detectives investigating death of 5-year-old girl Officials said the other man, 27-year-old Ryan Nupp, of Latrobe, was able to crawl out of the building and was helped by people at a neighboring home. Nupp was taken by ambulance to a Monroeville hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition."Borough officials were also called to the scene along with a structural engineer. They are assessing the structural integrity of the building at this time," the statement said.
BLAIRSVILLE, Pa. — One person died and another was in the hospital after a collapse at an old school building in Indiana County on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.
Sky 4 flew over the scene on South Walnut Street in Blairsville. Two men were on the roof to assess for demolition of the building when the roof collapsed and they fell three stories to the basement, Police Chief Louis Sacco said in a statement.
Sacco said one man, 63-year-old John William Plunkett of Colfax, North Carolina, was trapped inside. He said a police officer and firefighters went in and began removing debris to get the man out of the building.
Plunkett was flown to a Pittsburgh hospital, where he later died, Sacco said. Blairsville police said Plunkett was the owner of the building.
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Officials said the other man, 27-year-old Ryan Nupp, of Latrobe, was able to crawl out of the building and was helped by people at a neighboring home. Nupp was taken by ambulance to a Monroeville hospital, where he was reported to be in stable condition.
"Borough officials were also called to the scene along with a structural engineer. They are assessing the structural integrity of the building at this time," the statement said.
