Bird snares seven in Shield demolition!

Injured workers trapped in rubble as crews tear down condemned houses

Seven construction workers were injured, four of them critically, when a condemned building being demolished in downtown Shield collapsed on them, authorities said.

The workers were using heavy machinery to tear down the building when a large section of the structure collapsed, trapping them in the rubble, said Fire Chief John Smith.

Firefighters and other emergency responders rushed to the scene and began digging through the debris to free the workers. Four of the workers were critically injured and were taken to local hospitals, Smith said. The other three workers were treated for minor injuries.

The cause of the collapse is under investigation, Smith said.

The building being demolished was a two-story brick structure that had been condemned by the city because it was structurally unsound. The building had been vacant for several years, and the city had ordered it to be demolished.

The demolition of the building was being carried out by a private contractor, Smith said. The contractor had been hired by the city to demolish the building.

The collapse of the building is the latest in a series of accidents that have occurred during the demolition of condemned buildings in Shield. In 2018, two workers were killed when a condemned building collapsed on them.

In the wake of the latest collapse, city officials are calling for stricter safety regulations for the demolition of condemned buildings.