The Allegheny Power System was building another, larger plant at Willow Island, which would have two electric generators with a total capacity of 1,300 megawatts.

Just after 10:00 a.m., the previous day's concrete started to collapse under the weight of the scaffolding and the construction workers on it.

A jumble of concrete, wooden forms, metal scaffolding, and construction workers fell into the hollow center of the tower.

[6] Fire departments from Belmont, Parkersburg, Vienna, and St. Marys in West Virginia, and Marietta in Ohio, were called in.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation team arrived at the site the day of the accident.

[5] A number of safety lapses caused the collapse: On June 8, 1978, OSHA cited Willow Island contractors for 20 violations, including failures to field test concrete and anchor the scaffold system properly.