Garage Collapse Downtown Jacksonville Injures 13 One Missing
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It happened around 6 a.m. this morning as workers were pouring cement to be used for the new Berkman Plaza II tower.
On the fifth and sixth floor of a parking garage next to the area the levels of the walls began collapsing like dominos. Tne entire structure fell upon itself and it looks like a bomb went off.
Because it happened at 6am during a shift change, worried loved ones are desperately trying to find people at the scene. 13 workers were taken to Shands Jacksonville, nine were treated at the scene and one person is still missing. The hospitalized workers are saidto have suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
Dozens of police and fire rescue vehicles are crowding the area this morning.
There were about 20 people working in the parking structure pouring cement at the sixth floor next to the condo tower next to the St. Johns River when the collapse occured.
Around 2 in the morning construction began and by 6am the partial collapse occured. Cement construction is suspected to be the cause at this time, but it is as yet undetermined what sparked the collapse. No doubt accident reconstructionists will try to determine why the building was not properly shored up.
Bay Street east of Liberty had to be closed as dozens of emergency vehicles are in front of the Bay Street building.
Police say stay away from the area. Bay Street between Liberty and A. Philip Randolph Blvd is closed.
Instead if you are going west, use Duval St. or Adams St. as an alternative.
If you need to go east use Monroe St. or Church St.
For more information on this subject, please refer to the section on Worksite Injuries.