21 years later, pain of Aggie Bonfire collapse remains
COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KTRK) -- Hundreds gathered on the campus of Texas A&M University early Wednesday to remember the 12 people who died when Aggie Bonfire collapsed 21 years ago.
The tradition of Aggie Bonfire burned for more than 90 years, but that all changed on Nov. 18, 1999, when the bonfire structure collapsed, killing 11 students, one former student, and injuring 27 others.
It happened in the middle of the night, at 2:42 a.m.
A ceremony was held Wednesday morning to mark that exact moment. Students were asked to wear masks and maintain their distance at the Bonfire Memorial, which was built on the site of the collapse.
SEE ALSO: 20th anniversary of the Aggie bonfire tragedy
WATCH: Complete Aggie Bonfire remembrance ceremony
In 1999, fifty-seven Aggies were building the stack of logs that were to be burned when someone heard a crack, and it collapsed.
First responders from across the region responded to the scene. As the sun came up that day, even the Aggie football team showed up to help move logs.
Here is a list of the fallen Aggies:
Miranda Denise Adams
Santa Fe, Texas
Sophomore
Biomedical Science Major
'02
Christopher D. Breen
Austin, Texas
Graduate
'96
Michael Stephen Ebanks
Carrollton, TX
Freshman
Aerospace Engineering Major
'03
Jeremy Richard Frampton
Turlock, CA
Senior
Psychology Major
'99
Company D-1
Jamie Lynn Hand
Henderson, TX
Freshman
Environmental Design Major
'03
Christopher Lee Heard
Houston, TX
Freshman
Pre Engineering Major
Company K-2
'03
Timothy Doran Kerlee, Jr
Bartlett, TN
Sophomore
Mechanical Engineering Major
Squadron 16
'03
Lucas John Kimmel
Corpus Christi, TX
Freshman
Biomed. Science Major
Company D-2
'03
Bryan A. McClain
San Antonio, TX
Freshman
Agriculture Major
Squadron 2
'02
Chad A. Powell
Keller, TX
Sophomore
Computer Engineering Major
'03
Jerry Don Self
Arlington, TX
Junior
Engineering Technology Major
Squadron 17
'01
Watch:Tom Abrahams, ABC13 reporter, reflects on covering the bonfire stack collapse.
Nathan Scott West
Bellaire, TX
Sophomore
Ocean Engineering Major
Company C-2
'02
Looking back at the Texas A&M Bonfire collapse 20 years later
