Missouri News

Construction to start on memorial to Kansas City disaster

(KANSAS CITY, Mo., AP) — A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for a memorial to victims, rescuers and survivors of Kansas City’s 1981 skywalk disaster.

The Skywalk Memorial Foundation breaks ground on the memorial Friday in Hospital Hill Park, across the street from the former Hyatt Regency hotel where 114 people died in the collapse on July 17, 1981. More than 200 people were injured.

The disaster occurred during a dance in the hotel lobby when two suspended skywalks came crashing down. There were no criminal charges, but the engineers responsible lost their licenses. There were also about $140 million in judgments and settlements.

The Kansas City Star reports (http://bit.ly/1I1z8GQ) the memorial’s expected to be completed by fall. The memorial design created by Kansas City native Rita Blitt includes a 20-foot abstract sculpture atop a pedestal.

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Information from: The Kansas City Star, http://www.kcstar.com.

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