No Injuries When Roof Collapses At Tulsa's Hard Rock Casino

NewsOn6.com

CATOOSA, Oklahoma -- No one was injured when a portion of the roof at the Hard Rock Casino in Catoosa at I-44 and 193^rd East Avenue collapsed Tuesday morning.

Firefighters from Tulsa and Catoosa were called to the casino on the north side of I-44. 

One witness told News On 6 he saw water leaking from the ceiling and then someone screamed "Run!" and that's when a portion of the roof collapsed.

Casino spokesperson Amanda Clinton says a portion of the roof at Hard Rock Casino has been damaged by the winter storm. 

She says thanks to an alert staff, "we evacuated the area before the damage occurred and there were no injuries to our guests or our staff."

Clinton says they have closed the damaged portion of the casino and are currently assessing the damage and will provide more details as they become available.

CEO of Cherokee Nation Businesses David Stewart says "the safety of our guests is a top priority for us, and we're so glad no one was hurt."

Stewart released the following statement Tuesday afternoon:

The unprecedented winter storm we are experiencing caused damage to one portion of the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Tulsa this morning. The damage was confined to an area that was the original structure, built in 1992. The area affected holds electronic games and a poker room. Our restaurants, concert venue "The Joint," convention center, hotel towers and retail operations were not affected and continued to function normally.

Sometime before 9 a.m. an employee noticed some stresses in the sheetrock and notified a supervisor. The general manager was called to assess the situation and made the proactive decision to remove staff and guests from the area. Since it occurred so early in the morning, fewer than 100 guests were on the casino floor at the time the damage was sustained, and all were removed in an orderly fashion to another area of the casino. No one was in the affected area at the time the damage occurred, and it is the only area that remains closed at this time.

We are so very thankful to the employees that first noticed the issue and called it to the attention of management. Their swift, proactive response is exactly what we expect from them, and we are so fortunate to have such a vigilant staff.

Stewart said had no estimated cost of the damage.  News On 6 has been told the damage is in the older part of the casino.

Send photos of the incident to pics@newson6.net.