A parking structure partially collapsed outside a mall in Wisconsin Thursday afternoon, bringing down rubble and a pile of snow about 10 feet high.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates as more information becomes available.
No injuries have yet been reported, and two cars were damaged, North Shore Fire Department Chief Robert Whitaker said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
Whitaker said that based on a review of surveillance video, “We’re fairly confident there is no one in that space.”
The collapse occurred at the Bayshore shopping complex in Glendale. A large emergency response arrived at the scene, where firefighters dug through the tall snow pile that came down with part of the second floor.
Video posted on social media showed firefighters digging out the snow.
Another video also showed a close-up view taken by a driver near the edge of the collapse and a vehicle crushed in the rubble.
#BREAKING: Emergency crews are responding to a Parking garage collapse at Bayshore Mall with multiple vehicles crushed
Currently, multiple emergency crews and other authorities are responding to a Parking garage as the first and second floor has… https://t.co/FxnAFO8Owa pic.twitter.com/BaNqfCCJsT
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) February 23, 2023
Whitaker said the incident was reported around 12:15 p.m., FOX6 News reported. It drew assistance from the Milwaukee Fire Department’s Heavy Urban Rescue Team, which, according to its website, is geared toward “specialized crisis rescues.”
Whitaker said it was “likely” that the weight of the snow pile contributed to the collapse. An investigation into the incident is being launched, the Journal Sentinel reported.
An anonymous witness, who said he reported the collapse, described the moment to FOX6 News.
“I heard something in the background – ‘boom, boom’ – and I felt the walls shake,” they said. “I felt like I was in danger for my life.”
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