UPDATE: Officials identify man killed in collapse of building under construction
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UPDATE
CHUBBUCK — Officials have identified the man killed in the partial building collapse as 44-year-old Peato “Ben” Galo of Pocatello.
Funeral services for the father of five are being held Monday morning.
A family friend established a donation page to help the Galo family.
The collapse remains under investigation by the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
ORIGIONAL
CHUBBUCK — One man is dead and another person severely injured after a partially-constructed building collapsed Tuesday north of Chubbuck.
Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielson tells EastIdahoNews.com the collapse occurred around midday at the construction site of the North Bannock County Fire District’s new fire station near South Yellowstone Highway/U.S. Highway 91 and Tyhee Road.
He said about 15 workers were installing trusses at the site when one of the walls suddenly collapsed causing everything above to crash down severely injuring two workers.
Both men were transported to Portneuf Medical Center, and officials later confirmed one of the two men had died.
Officials have not released the name of the dead man, but the injured man is 19-year-old Houston Briscoe, according to Nielson. Briscoe is in critical condition, hospital spokeswoman Mary Keating said.
The fire district issued the following statement about the accident.
“The North Bannock County Fire District acknowledges the tragedy that occurred today when a building under construction collapsed, fatally injuring one worker and severely injuring another,” North Bannock County Fire District Fire Chief J.R. Farnsworth said in a news release. “Our first concern is for the workers and their families.”
Farnsworth said the fire district had planned to lease two of the bays in the building that was being constructed as a temporary fire station.
Earlier this month, Bannock County voters passed a $500,000 emergency levy to create the North Bannock County Fire District’s own volunteer fire department.
Previously, the district received fire protection services from Chubbuck, but the city chose to cancel its contract with them at the end of September, according to the fire district’s website.
The fire district was unable to negotiate a new contract for fire services with Pocatello, Chubbuck or Fort Hall leading the district to create its own department. The North Bannock County Fire District was in the process of organizing the department and getting fire fighting equipment and a station. The building that collapsed was going to serve as a temporary station.
“Other options will now need to be considered,” Farnsworth said.
The Bannock County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the collapse. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also expected to investigate.