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One student is dead and two others are injured after a column collapsed at an Oregon college the same day the semester began, per multiple reports.
Portland Fire and Rescue said a 19-year-old man and two 18-year-old female classmates were sitting on hammocks at Lewis & Clark College in Portland on Monday when one of the attached masonry columns fell toward them, according toTodayandNBC News.
“We are devastated to report that earlier this evening, a tragic accident occurred on the undergraduate campus in which one of our students was killed and two others were injured,” the school said.
Monday marked the start of a new semester at Lewis and Clark College, according to the school’swebsite.
The Portland Fire and Rescue Bureau did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
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Emergency officials were alerted to the incident around 8:15 p.m. local time on Monday, according toTodayand NBC News.
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Witnesses claimed six people were sitting in three hammocks attached to the columns prior to the collapse, according toOregon Public Broadcasting.
Fire officials said in a statement that after the incident, “callers reported that one person was seriously injured, and people were performing CPR on him,” reportedTodayand NBC News.
The male victim succumbed to his injuries before an ambulance could reach the scene, per the outlets.
The two 18-year-old students suffered non-life threatening injuries and were transported to a local hospital for treatment,Todayreported. One sustained injuries to her arm, and the other to her abdominal area, according to the outlet.
Portland Fire and Rescue said the school will take the lead on investigating the incident, according to NBC News.
source: people.com
