Cause not known yet

Oscars Shrine structure collapses; five injured

Rescue workers carry one of five people injured at a scaffolding collapse at the site of this Sunday's Oscars ceremony

March 22, 2001
Web posted at: 6:52 p.m. EST (2352 GMT)

(CNN) -- Five people were injured on Thursday -- one critically -- when a scaffolding structure collapsed outside the Shrine Auditorium, site of the upcoming Oscars.

The incident took place along the red-carpet walk lining the outside of the Shrine, where celebrities, media and fans are scheduled to gather before the 73rd Academy Awards on Sunday evening.

Construction workers were apparently working on or near the structure when 75 feet of scaffolding collapsed.

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Bob Collis of the Los Angeles Fire Department said one person was in critical condition, two in serious and two others suffered minor injuries.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known, but an investigation has been launched, Collis said.

"I don't think the weather was a problem here. I think it was some malfunction somewhere or human error," Collis said. "That will have to come out in the investigation."

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