METAIRIE – Six people have been hospitalized after workers installing a scaffold outside a hotel in Metairie struck a high power electric line.
Five of the victims were able to climb down off of the scaffolding after the incident, while firefighters had to carry the sixth victim to the ground, according to East Bank Consolidated Fire Department Chief Dave Tibbetts.
The first call came out just before 10 a.m. from the Hampton Inn on Causeway Boulevard, and firefighters were on the scene within three minutes.
“We found individuals injured that would be similar to the type of injuries that you would see with an electrocution,” Tibbetts said. “There were six people transported to University Hospital in various stages of those type of injuries…such as burns and things like that.”
Entergy briefly shut down power in the area until they were able to isolate the power line involved and make sure it was safe, according to Tibbetts.
Power was back on within a few minutes for most residents around the hotel, and firefighters have secured the area, he said.
Traffic was interrupted as emergency crews conducted an investigation into the incident.