Des Plaines building collapse injures five

A building addition under construction collapsed Friday afternoon in Des Plaines, injuring four workers and one firefighter, authorities said.

The accident at 1500 Rand Road occurred at the height of storms that quickly moved through the Northwest suburbs about 3 p.m.

Fire Chief Alan Wax said the roof and one wall of the building addition collapsed, and scaffolding set up next to the building fell on construction workers.

Firefighters were responding to a separate call when they were waved down by those at the construction site.

None of the workers had to be dug out from building rubble, but one worker did suffer serious injuries. He was taken to Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge for treatment, Wax said.

Two other workers were also taken to Lutheran General with minor injuries, and one worker was taken to Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights with minor injuries.

A firefighter also suffered minor injuries.

The addition was being built onto an auto transmission shop. A crew was being called to the scene late Friday afternoon to fence in and secure the site.

Though the timing of the building collapse coincided with the storm, authorities were still investigating an official cause, Wax said.