A construction worker was killed Thursday after a house under construction collapsed during powerful storms and high winds in Texas.
Travis County Emergency Services confirmed the fatality Friday morning, reporting that four workers were inside the unfinished home when gusts estimated between 50 and 70 mph brought the structure down.
Two workers managed to get out as the building began to give way.
But the entire two-story structure soon collapsed, leaving two others trapped beneath the debris.
Officials said one of the trapped workers remained conscious and breathing while pinned under parts of the home’s framework.
The second worker suffered critical injuries and did not survive.
Crews from Travis County Emergency Services District 5 and the Austin Fire Department Special Operations team launched a rescue effort, stabilizing the collapsed structure before lifting sections of it to reach the worker trapped underneath.
“The neighbor next to the house reported that the winds were so intense,” Travis County Emergency Services District 5 said. “The trees were blowing sideways, and then she heard a loud boom which was the house collapsing next to her.”
Wind reports in the region show gusts of 60 mph on Thursday afternoon during the storms.
