Worker unaccounted for after roof collapses on Phoenix building during thunderstorm
PHOENIX - A rescue operation is underway at a commercial building in Phoenix where part of its roof collapsed on Wednesday night, leaving a worker unaccounted for.
The building is at 43rd Avenue and Van Buren Street. The worker's name has not been released.
Firefighters say the building is a commercial food distributor and there are no hazardous materials inside.
Phoenix Fire confirmed during a news conference on Thursday that the cause of the collapse was from a microburst when a severe thunderstorm rolled through the area on July 24.
Fire crews searched as much as they could overnight, using dogs and drones, but then backed out for safety.
"This is a partial roof collapse right now, so we are worried about secondary collapses. We are working alongside structural engineers, our partners and stakeholders, to make sure that our members are safe to go inside," Phoenix Fire Capt. Todd Keller said on July 25.
On Thursday night, dogs went into the building to look for the worker, and they alerted crews to a certain area. However, after cameras and listening devices went into the building, nothing was found.
"We're not going to stop until this individual is found," Phoenix Fire Capt. Todd Keller said. He says technical rescue teams will be working 12-hour shifts until a person is found.
This is considered a rescue still, and not a body recovery. Capt. Keller says people can survive up to three days in situations like this.
As for the loved ones of the worker, a community outreach team is working to comfort the family.
Engineer gives perspective
Dan Kessler runs an engineering firm in the West Valley, Criterium-Kessler Engineers.
He's not working on the rescue but says, "Warehouses, of course, are designed to have maximum amount of open space, and therefore the structural elements that hold it up are very easy to see, and if you have damaged one of those, the damage can be widespread."
Fire crews plan to vibrate the building as part of a stability check. Crews wouldn’t be surprised to see another wall come crashing down.
"When you shake it, it’s kind of done from a distance where nobody can be injured and then if there are in fact, structural elements that are no longer connected or weak points, in theory, it’s going to collapse with nobody there," Kessler explained.