Construction Accident Strands Workers at Temple University

A construction accident on the campus of Temple University in North Philadelphia left workers stranded and one man hurt.

Part of the fifth floor collapsed onto the fourth floor, trapping half a dozen workers, according to Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Lloyd Ayers.

Students below were told to get out of the way.

"I just heard a crash and looked up and everything had collapsed," said student Veronica Hudacek. "Immediately, there was a guy on the scene telling everyone, 'Move aside, move aside.' It was really scary."

The building, which is under construction, is located at 12th Street and Polett Walk near Cecil B Moore Avenue. 

When the accident happened around 1 p.m., the building was evacuated, Ayers said.

Rescue crews used a Ladder Truck to get up to the area where six workers were stranded for about an hour.

From SkyForce10 overhead, rescuers could be seen tending to the one man who was injured. He was flat on his back. Commissioner Ayers said he could not talk specifically about the worker's condition, but said the injuries appeared to be serious, but not life-threatening. The victim was taken to Temple University Hospital.

12th Street from Norris to Montgomery will be closed to vehicle traffic at least until Monday, July 15. Pedestrians will not be allowed to walk in front of the building because of safety concerns.

The building under construction is the Science, Education and Research Center, according to a map on the school's website. It stands six stories right now and sits between Gladfelter Hall and the Engineering building. When completed in 2014, the building will tower eight stories.

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