Partial building collapse in Minneapolis; evacuations but no injuries
A partial building collapse caused the evacuation of a well-known mall of Somali businesses in south Minneapolis Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported.
Crews were adding a third floor to the Karmel Mall at 2910 Pillsbury Ave. when unsecured trusses on the building's roof gave way, building owner Basim Sabri said.
The partial collapse dropped construction materials onto the sidewalk.
Police said they think wind may have played a role in the incident. They said Sabri was adding at least one floor to the building, including a prayer room.
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Sabri said his crews were doing the work and he'd obtained the proper permits.
"The framers were working a little bit late. They were tired. They did not, unfortunately, tie one end of the trusses. So winds hit it," Sabri told reporters. "One truss hit the other one, it's like dominoes. The main thing is, nobody got hurt."
Everything's repairable and it should take only a few hours to clean up the mess once crews are allowed back in, Sabri added.
The incident knocked out power in the building. City inspectors and fire crews are looking into the cause.
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