3 people killed, 1 injured in Houston partial building collapse

Houston: At least three people were killed and one other person was injured when a building under construction partially collapsed in the US city of Houston, according to fire officials.

In a statement, the Houston Fire Department said the incident took place on Monday in the area of Town & Country Boulevard, the city-based KTRK-TV station reported.

Assistant Fire Chief Ruy Lozano said the collapse appeared to involve newly constructed stairs, starting at the 13th or 14th floor of the 15-storey building.

He said that 240 construction workers were at the site during the accident and all of them have been accounted for.

The building is being constructed for the Houston-based Marathon Oil’s new headquarters, according to the company’s website.

A company spokesperson said in a statement: “We are saddened to learn that an accident occurred at the construction site for the future Houston headquarters of Marathon Oil. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those contractors who were affected and thank the first responders.

“We have offered our assistance to the building contractors as they respond to this accident.”

Additional details about the victims or the cause of the collapse were not immediately available.