‘Not something that anybody expected or wanted’: DC row house collapse kills trapped worker, officials say

DC row house collapse kills trapped worker, officials say

D.C. officials say a construction worker that was trapped under a two-story row home that collapsed in Northwest on Monday has died.

Just after 9:30 a.m., emergency crews were dispatched for a rescue operation to a two-story row home undergoing renovations in the 1100 block of V Street NW, according to D.C. Fire and EMS.

During an afternoon news conference, D.C. Fire and EMS Chief John Donnelly Sr. and D.C. Department of Buildings Director Brian Hanlon said a worker trapped beneath the home had died.

The person was found toward the rear of the building.

“Our units quickly assessed the scene and accessed the patient and they found that the patient was deceased,” Donnelly said.

A family at the scene identified the worker who was killed to WTOP as 36-year-old Edgar Sinfuentes.

D.C. officials have not officially confirmed the identity of the worker who was killed.

Donnelly said the department is working to secure the space so the deceased construction worker can be freed from the rubble.

“At this point, we don’t have any indication as to the cause of this. We do know that the building was permitted and that there’ll be an investigation to understand what work was actually being performed at the time,” Donnelly said.

Donnelly and Hanlon said building construction appeared to have started about a month ago as a major renovation to the residence. Officials said a Dec. 4 inspection of the property was conducted by the District’s Department of Buildings. Additional information about those inspections and the ongoing work has yet to be shared with the public.

“We are going to be investigating the nature of the work that was being done today, comparing it to the existing permits that are in place to make sure everything was proper and to look for discrepancies,” Hanlon said.

Hanlon said the construction workers should have been preparing to pour a footing — part of a home’s foundation that supports the building structure — when the incident occurred.

“This particular project — the nature of underpinning and that kind of structural work (required) special inspections,” Hanlon said. “We’re actually taking a look at the most recent special inspection, and again, as I said earlier, looking at the work that was being done today to make sure it was fully in accordance with the permits that are in place.”

Both agency leaders were clear that they will be prioritizing efforts to stabilize and respectfully remove the body of the worker who died.

“We’re two days before Christmas. This is not something that anybody expected or wanted, and our condolences go out to the family and the people that are affected by this. And it’s a pretty large group of people, the workers on the scene, the man’s family. He was a 36-year-old construction worker here, by all accounts, doing a great job,” Donnelly said.

Though officials have not officially confirmed the identity of the worker who died, family members, friends and co-workers of the man killed were grieving the loss.

“He was very nice gentlemen,” Cinthya Alvarez, a family friend, told WTOP. “They are very committed to church, and they just go to church and home. He was a very good husband. He was planning to return to Guatemala in a few years. I know that they were building (a) house with my sister-in-law, and now it’s not going to be possible.”

Safety concerns for rescue teams

D.C. Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency Deputy Chief Danny McCoy said during a Monday morning press conference that this was a “significant collapse” and the residence was not in a good enough condition for first responders to continue their rescue operations safely.

“Right now we’re working with the department of buildings and a contractor to come up with a plan to stabilize the building so it’s safe to continue operations,” McCoy said.

The building previously held a permit for demolition when the collapse occurred and, as of 12:30 p.m., the unidentified trapped worker remained inside the building.

“I can tell you it is placarded for work but cannot speak on the work,” McCoy told reporters.

McCoy also said the row home is joined to an occupied two-story row house. Residents living in the adjoined home were not in the building, according to McCoy. Given the nature of the collapse, it isn’t clear that neighbors in the attached row home will be able to return to their home.

WTOP’s Heather Gustafson reported portions of V Street were blocked off while emergency crews worked in the area.

Officials said they know very little about why the building collapsed and that they had seen no signs of fire.

McCoy was asked if there was a risk to other homeowners given ongoing construction and renovations to aging homes in the region.

“I would say that the city is always growing. Row houses are sought after, and they’re renovated often,” McCoy said. “We don’t see that often, but it is a common occurrence for this age of building when there is construction.”

Before the press conference, the fire department initially said it was “proceeding with extreme caution due to precarious condition of structure,” according to a statement posted to X, adding that the “adjacent attached row may be compromised.”

This latest building collapse comes just one week after a vacant three-story building near the intersection of 11th and M streets in Northwest D.C. fell, scattering bricks along the sidewalk. At the time, fire officials said there were no reported injuries and that a collapse zone had been created around the building.

WTOP’s Heather Gustafson, Ivy Lyons and Acacia James contributed to this report.

D.C. first responders said they would be carefully working to free the trapped worker “due to the precarious condition” of the row home, which collapsed on Dec. 23, 2024. (Courtesy DC Fire and EMS)
D.C. Fire and EMS officials said ahead of a Dec. 23, 2024 press briefing that they believe the row home attached to the collapsed residence may be compromised. (Courtesy DC Fire and EMS)
D.C. Fire and EMS officials are working to give updates on the building collapse at the 1100 block of V St. NW on Dec. 23, 2024. (Courtesy DC Fire and EMS)
DC Firefighters and First responders stand and dig through rubble
D.C. Fire and EMS officials respond to the building collapse in Northwest D.C. on Dec. 23, 2024. (Courtesy DC Fire and EMS)
(1/4)
DC Firefighters and First responders stand and dig through rubble

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2024 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Federal News Network Logo
Log in to your WTOP account for notifications and alerts customized for you.

Sign up