PHOTO/HOPKINTON FIRE DEPARTMENT

The Hopkinton Fire Department and Hopkinton Police Department jointly responded to a scaffolding collapse Wednesday morning that caused a portion of a new wall to fall at the site of the Hopkins Elementary School extension project, according to the town’s fire chief.

At approximately 11:36 a.m., HFD received a report of a scaffolding collapse that caused a 15-foot by 40-foot section of a new wall to fall at 104 Hayden Rowe Street, according to Chief Gary Daugherty. This is the site of an unoccupied two-story extension building that has been under construction since last year.

“We’re grateful that no one got hurt and all the students are safe,” stated Daugherty in a press release. “The students are not in any danger, and no workers were injured. We evacuated the construction site and the surrounding area, and we made sure no one was under the scaffolding or the wall.”

HFD sent a rescue truck and an ambulance to the site for an investigative collapse response. A town building inspector and police also responded. Building officials remained on scene Wednesday afternoon to ensure the stability of the entire building

All students, workers, and faculty were safely isolated from the construction site, Daugherty pointed out. Out of an abundance of caution, firefighters evacuated the four active classrooms closest to the construction site. There was no damage to the main school building.

None of the approximately 50 construction workers were on the scaffolding or close to the wall at the time.

The cause of the collapse remains under investigation, Daugherty added.