Dec 10, 2008 11:00 pm US/Eastern
Part Of Atrium Mall Garage Ceiling Collapses
Is Your Car Stuck In The Parking Lot? Contact Us.
NEWTON (WBZ) ―
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According to reports from the scene, six to 10 cars were damaged in the collapse.
WBZ
The Atrium Mall garage was closed after part of its ceiling collapsed onto some cars Wednesday, according to Newton police.
According to reports from the scene, 8 cars were damaged in the collapse. "The ceiling fell down on top of a car," said one shopper leaving the garage. "(The collapse) sounded like a bunch of stuff falling down… a big crash."
The garage was closed off for much of Wednesday, but the mall remained open. The garage was eventually opened in the late evening.
WHAT HAPPENED?
The collapse happened on the first level of the garage, which is designated for valet parking.
The cement part of the ceiling was not part of the collapse, officials said. The sheet rock suspended by wires two to three feet below the concrete is the part that fell. The gap between the sheet rock and the concrete allows workers to access the sprinkler heads and helps prevent the pipes from freezing.
According to WBZ's Karen Anderson, a 25 feet by 100 feet section fell onto the cars below.
No one was injured, but police say if the sheet rock fell on a person, they would have gotten hurt. Crews performed three searches of the debris with an infrared light to make sure no one was trapped underneath the sheet rock.
ONE VICTIM'S STORY
Tara Zadeh didn't get to see her car when it was finally towed away Wednesday night after being covered by falling debris.
The green Saab had a smashed front light and damage to the rear end. There was a steel screw stuck to the hood and the car had a cracked windshield.
Zadeh told WBZ she had parked her car in the lot a mere 15 minute prior to the collapse.
IS IT SAFE?
A structural engineer called to the mall to survey the damage determined the building is structurally sound. The garage was opened late Wednesday night, but entrance to the parking garage from Route 9 will remain closed until the investigation is complete.
It's still unknown what caused the ceiling to collapse.
The FBI was also on scene investigating.
WHY THE FBI?
When Attorney General Martha Coakley got word of the ceiling collapse, she immediately called federal investigators and asked them to check it out, Anderson learned. According to the mayor, Coakley wanted to make sure there wasn't a connection between the ceiling collapse and what happened in the
Big Dig collapse.
Investigators say the tiles inside the parking garage are secure, and the fire chief says there is no connection to what happened in the Big Dig collapse. He said the type of structure collapse is entirely different.
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