‘CATASTROPHIC ACCIDENT’

One Firefighter Dead in Philadelphia Building Collapse

Four other firefighters were also trapped in the building when it collapsed, but all were extracted safely.

One firefighter has died at the scene of a building fire in Philadelphia on Saturday morning, fire officials confirmed to the Associated Press. The firefighter was battling the blaze at the building along with at least four others when they all became trapped as the structure collapsed. All made it out and were taken to a hospital, including a city inspector, except for the one, officials said. The fire was reportedly put out before the building fell, and one firefighter even jumped from the second story to escape the collapse, Deputy Fire Commissioner Craig Murphy said. Although the deceased man’s name has not yet been released, Murphy said he had been with the department for 27 years. Murphy said officials are still investigating the cause of the collapse. “You can’t predict this. This was just a catastrophic accident that (has) really hurt our department,” Murphy said.