HOUSTON — Crews still haven't been able to recover the bodies of three people killed in a stairwell collapse because they say the structure is not stable.
Houston Fire Department Assistant Chief Ruy Lozano said their biggest threat is a second collapse, which could endanger the lives of rescue crews at the site inside the future home of Marathon Oil in west Houston.
Miguel Ramirez showed up at the scene Tuesday, one day after the collapse, with hopes of finding his friend who has been missing since it happened. He believes his friend is one of the three victims killed. Ramirez said his friend was working inside the stairwell when it collapsed.
“I am nervous,” Ramirez said. “I don’t know. To know that my friend is there. Just imagine how I feel. I would love to go in and help but I can’t do anything.”
Ramirez said he feels helpless.
“I’m looking for answers because my best friend got trapped there and we don’t know if he really is alive or dead or if he needs helps. I don’t know because they don’t tell us anything,” he said.
Ramirez told KHOU the name of his friend but authorities have not released the identities of the victims until next of kin is notified so out of respect we won’t name him in this report.
Ramirez did say his friend is 28 years old and has a family.
“His three kids are waiting for him at home and they don’t know anything. They’re asking for him,” Ramirez said.
Lozano said rescue crews are cutting holes in the roof to get access to unstable planks of concrete that have to be removed.
A crane will remove the planks starting from the top and work their way down to the ground floor where the bodies are located.
“There’s still parts of that stairwell in place and not being held properly, so if those fall, our rescuers can be in severe danger,” Lozano said.
It’s a danger that forces people like Ramirez to wait for closure.
“No one wants to go in because they’re scared of another collapse and well my hopes of seeing him alive are fading,” Ramirez said.
Lozano said it may take until Wednesday to start the process of removing concrete. The whole process will take time.