A partial collapse of a garage at Westfield Montgomery Mall in Bethesda this afternoon left one person dead, and a second victim trapped. Both were reportedly construction workers.
The trapped victim was recovered by Montgomery County Fire and Rescue teams. This person was reported to be in shock. Two medevac helicopters were on scene. The patient is being transferred to a local hospital.
It is unclear what the cause of the collapse was, or whether construction taking place related to mall expansion played any role.
Fire officials and technical experts are now inspecting the scene to determine the stability and safety of the garage and nearby mall structures.
Crews on scene report that the first floor of the garage has been shored up. One worker reports "no [garage] columns showing any stressors," a positive sign, but it is way too early to speculate.
Fire officials are also concerned about the heat, requesting bottled water for firefighters. Potentially severe thunderstorms are expected to pass through the area in a few hours.
Stay tuned here, and on Twitter at @BethesdaRow for updates.
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