NEW ORLEANS — The families of two men killed in the October 2019 Hard Rock Hotel collapse will have to wait at least another week before the remains of their loved ones can be recovered, city officials said Friday.
New Orleans Fire Chief Tim McConnell said the contractor involved in the recovery effort informed them of the delay but did not provide an updated timeline for when the bodies would be recovered.
"It has been pushed back," McConnell said. "It will not happen this week."
He said the delays could be substantial.
“The timeline has shifted dramatically,” McConnell said. "Not having it this week is significant."
The delay is two-fold: rain and summer storms have forced demolition crews to slow their work, and some of the equipment being prepared for the recovery is not working properly, McConnell said.
Work to recover the bodies of Jose Ponce Arreola and Quinnyon Wimberly began earlier this month, after nearly 10 months of delays. The under-construction Hard Rock Hotel on the corner of Canal and North Rampart streets collapsed Oct. 12.
The demolition is expected to cost $8.4 million. 1031 Canal Development, the Hard Rock’s owner, is paying for the demolition work. The ultimate goal is to have the site entirely clear by October, a year after the deadly collapse.
Wrecking balls have been chipping away at the upper floors of the building since July 13.
Once the site is deemed safe, recovery crews will be lowered toward the remains in baskets. Those workers will recover the remains of Wimberly and Arreola, which will then be transported to the coroner.
Once the victims’ bodies have been removed, demolition can continue.
More Stories:
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
