One Lewis & Clark College student killed, two others injured in column collapse on campus

By Amanda Watts, CNN

A brick column at Lewis & Clark College in Oregon collapsed Monday, killing one student and injuring two others while they were lying in hammocks, according to Portland Fire and Rescue.

Lewis & Clark officials in a statement called the incident a “tragic accident.” According to the private college’s academic calendar, Monday was the first day of undergraduate classes for the fall semester.

“We are working to contact the students’ families and will report more information as it becomes available,” the statement said. “We are deeply saddened by the shocking loss of a member of our community.”

Fire and rescue crews were called to campus around 8:15 p.m. in response to “reports of multiple people injured” after the column fell, the agency said in a statement. When they arrived, they found a 19-year-old man dead and two 18-year-old women injured — one with an injury to her arm and the other with an injury to her abdomen. Both women were taken to a hospital, fire officials said.

According to students who spoke to police, “there were six people in three hammocks when the masonry column fell inward toward students,” Portland Fire & Rescue’s statement said.

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