The fall of a brick masonry column at Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Oregon, on Monday evening reportedly resulted in the death of one student and the injury of two others. Six individuals were reportedly in three hammocks when the column collapsed, according to the Portland Fire & Rescue Bureau.
The fire department claimed that fire crews originally had difficulty reaching the site because it was “centrally positioned on campus with difficult access owing to the size of this college campus.”
According to the fire service, a 19-year-old man died at the scene and two 18-year-old women were injured. One of the women sustained arm injuries, while the other sustained abdomen injuries. Both were hospitalized for unclear reasons.
No one was found pinned beneath the column, according to the fire department. Firefighters “handed over” the site to the institution, which will “take the lead on this going forward,” according to the agency.
It remained unknown what may have caused the fall of the column. Meanwhile, the college stated that it was reaching out to the victims’ families.
“We are heartbroken to report that a sad tragedy occurred on the undergraduate campus this evening, resulting in the death of one of our students and the injury of two others,” the school said in a news release. “We are endeavoring to contact the families of the students and will provide updates as they become available. We are profoundly saddened by the shocking loss of a community member.”