School Collapse in Minneapolis Leaves 3 Unaccounted For

School Collapse in Minneapolis Leaves 2 Dead

A gas leak at a Minneapolis schools has caused an explosion leaving two staff members dead.

  • Aug 03, 2017

[UPDATE: August 3, 2017 9:00 a.m. CT]

Minneapolis Fire has confirmed that two people have died in the partial school collapse following a gas leak.

Both victims were staff members of the upper Minneapolis school, the first to be found in the rubble was a receptionist, Ruth Berg, who had been with the school for 17 years. The second was an 81-year-old janitor.

[UPDATE: August 2, 2017 12:05 p.m. CT]

Minneapolis Fire Department has confirmed the number of unaccounted people is now down to two people. One person who was previously unaccounted for was found unharmed.

The fire chief was also able to confirm that the gas leak was the result of a severed gas line by contractors employed to work on the building.

The original story is posted below.

Rescues are underway after a school in Minneapolis partially collapsed after a explosion on Wednesday morning.

The explosion happened at Minnehaha's Upper School, according to the school district. The Minneapolis Fire Department was able to confirm that the explosion was a result of a gas leak at the school.

In a series of tweets, the Minneapolis police department confirmed that three people had been rescued from the roof of the school, five people were transported to area hospitals and three people were still unaccounted for at the time of this writing.

Officials believe there were about a dozen students in the gym at the time of the explosion. Those students and staff have been accounted for. There is another group of people who were closer to the explosion at the back of the building, it is from this group of people that police and fire officials believe there are people missing.

Minnehaha Academy posted on their Facebook page to confirm the explosion and give parents a place to pick up their students if they were at the school.


Witnesses from the incident say that officials came over the loud speaker to ask those in the building to leave after smelling gas. It was seconds later that the explosion happened.

This story will be updated with timely information.

 

Featured

  • 2025 Security LeadHER Conference Program Announced

    ASIS International and the Security Industry Association (SIA) – the leading membership associations for the security industry – have announced details for the 2025 Security LeadHER conference, a special event dedicated to advancing, connecting and empowering women in the security profession. The third annual Security LeadHER conference will be held Monday, June 9 – Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan. This carefully crafted program represents a comprehensive professional development opportunity for women in security this year. To view the full lineup at this year’s event, please visit securityleadher.org. Read Now

    • Industry Events

  • Report: 82 Percent of Phishing Emails Used AI

    KnowBe4, the world-renowned cybersecurity platform that comprehensively addresses human risk management, today launched its Phishing Threat Trend Report, detailing key trends, new data, and threat intelligence insights surrounding phishing threats targeting organizations at the start of 2025. Read Now

  • NRF Supports Federal Bill to Thwart Retail Crime

    The National Retail Federation recently announced its support for the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025. The act was introduced by Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., and Representative Dave Joyce, R-Ohio. Read Now

  • ISC West 2025 Brings Almost 29,000 Industry Professionals to Las Vegas

    ISC West 2025, organized by RX and in collaboration with the Security Industry Association, concluded at the Venetian Expo in Las Vegas last week. The nation’s leading comprehensive and converged security event attracted nearly 29,000 industry professionals and left a lasting impression on the global security community. Over five action-packed days, ISC West welcomed more than 19,000 attendees and featured 750 exhibiting brands. Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West

  • Tradeshow Work Can Be Fun

    While at ISC West last week, I ran into numerous friends and associates all of which was a pleasant experience. The first question always seemed to be, “How many does this make for you?” Read Now

    • Industry Events
    • ISC West
Most   Popular

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Unified VMS

    AxxonSoft introduces version 2.0 of the Axxon One VMS. The new release features integrations with various physical security systems, making Axxon One a unified VMS. Other enhancements include new AI video analytics and intelligent search functions, hardened cybersecurity, usability and performance improvements, and expanded cloud capabilities

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.