Garage at famed Watergate collapses, one person reportedly trapped

Updated
Parking Garage Collapse At Famed Watergate Complex
Parking Garage Collapse At Famed Watergate Complex


(Reuters) - Three floors of a parking garage at the Watergate complex in Washington collapsed on Friday, reportedly trapping at least one person, local authorities and media reported.

The structure suffered a "pancake collapse," according to a Twitter posting from Washington fire fighters. The complex, made famous by the 1972 political scandal chronicled in the book and movie "All the President's Men," is undergoing renovations.

Oscar Mendez, a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and EMS Department, said authorities received reports of one person trapped.

Mendez said units were dispatched around 10 a.m. to the complex, located several blocks from the U.S. State Department. The city's fire department said the road near the complex had been closed.

Two local news outlets reported one person had been injured.

Representatives for the Watergate could not be immediately reached for comment.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Emily Stephenson; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

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