Daunting footage of the aftermath has emerged as it shows the mass debris left in the streets following the collapse. The drone footage also shows the current state of the building and reignites fears that another collapse could occur. The collapse happened on Saturday morning near the city’s historic French Quarter.
Rescue workers and emergency services searched the largely unstable building for one person who was still unaccounted for.
Nearby buildings have been evacuated as a 270-foot construction crane, one of two, remains standing with fears it is unstable.
Many witnesses argued that it the sudden loud bangs and earth-shaking sparked fears that another 9/11 event was happening.
Dramatic bystander video of upper floors falling on top of each other before on side of the building completely crashed to the street was aired on WWL-TV.
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Another video filmed from within a tram was shared on social media and showed cars attempting to escape from the metal crashing to the floor.
As the structure hit the floor heavy dust and smoke filled the streets.
A witness said: “It sounded like a – I don’t know how to describe it – like a building coming down.
“It was a deep, rumbling sound, like an aeroplane maybe. It drew my head immediately.
Witness Sarah Fischer told The New York Times: “We saw, all of a sudden, just this thick cloud of white smoke and metal falling.
“You couldn’t see in front of you and it lasted 30 seconds, maybe a minute.”
The 350- room Hard Rock Hotel was due to open next spring but following the incident the opening date has been pushed back.