Category: Hard Rock Hotel

Body left in Hard Rock Hotel collapse exposed after tarp falls off, then re-covered; Friday protest planned at City Hall

The body of a victim killed by the Hard Rock Hotel collapse was re-covered by a tarp by New Orleans city crews Wednesday after the previous one blew off and exposed the remains.

Photos of the body showing its legs dangling off the side of the collapsed portion of the hotel emerged on social media earlier this week, sparking outrage.

The hotel partially collapsed on the morning of Oct. 12, killing Anthony Magrette, 49; Quinnyon Wimberly, 36; and Jose Ponce Arreola, 63; and injuring dozens more.

The bodies of Wimberly and Arreola are still trapped inside.

In a Facebook post on Jan. 22, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the conditions of the collapse have deteriorated since October, making access to the remains “extremely difficult and very dangerous.”

She added that the body of one victim is embedded in highly unstable debris 11 stories above street level and adjusting the tarp to re-cover the body again a “significant safety challenge.”

A new, yellow-colored tarp was placed over the body by city crews on the same day, according to WVUE.

Shortly before the body was uncovered, Cantrell took to social media to scold those who took pictures of the exposed body.

The outrage was shared across social media, except it was directed at Cantrell and other officials, as well as the owner of the collapsed site, Mohan Kailas.

A protest reportedly organized by Trey Monaghan will organize in front of the collapse site near the corner of Canal and North Rampart streets Friday afternoon, according to The Gambit, and march to City Hall. The protest starts at 3 p.m.

WGNO reported that 1031 Canal Development LLC, which owns the Hard Rock property, said the city has control of the site.

During a Jan. 17 press conference, Cantrell said the building could be demolished as early as March and added that retrieving the trapped bodies is her “top priority.”

D.H. Griffin Companies will be managing the demolition of the hotel, Cantrell said, and is “more than confident” that the contractor can safely implode the building.

Three killed after Hard Rock Hotel New Orleans construction crane collapses

A construction crane at the Hard Rock Hotel New Orleans collapsed on Saturday morning, killing three workers and injuring dozens more, according to the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.

According to WWL-TV, the collapse occurred at 9:12 a.m. At least 18 people are injured, the news station reported.

Evacuation crews are on scene and rescue efforts are underway.

The Office of Homeland Security established a one-block radius evacuation zone.

Courtesy of the New Orleans Office of Homeland Security.

N. Rampart Street is closed to vehicles from St. Louis to Canal. Other street closures include Basin from Conti to Tulane, N. Rampart from Conti to Common, and Canal from Saratoga to Baronne.

According to city officials, the Canal Streetcar out of service from Claiborne to the Mississippi River, the Riverfront Streetcar is out of service, and the Rampart-UPT line impacted.

The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority announced that all bus and streetcar connections in the affected area near Canal and Elk will now be operated at their headquarters at 2817 Canal St. Staff will be on hand to assist riders with rerouted services.

For updates, visit http://norta.com#HardRockCollapse.