The wall of a U.S. Postal Service distribution center in Tampa, Florida, collapsed Monday night, bringing down the roof, according to officials and local media reports.
“We can confirm that a partial building collapse occurred at the Ybor City Package Support Annex at approximately 9:20 p.m. on April 28. No employees were injured due to this incident. This facility is not open to the public, so no customers were present. Experts are on site now to evaluate the building and determine the cause, which is still unknown,” the Postal Service said in a statement.
“The building is closed until further notice and employees have been notified to report for duty at an alternate location – the Ybor City Processing & Distribution Center (P&DC). The damaged facility processes packages only. All other mail, including First-Class letters, is processed at the Tampa P&DC, which is currently running a normal operation. No substantial service impacts are anticipated,” the mail service added.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue responded to the incident.
Fox13 reported that 50 employees were in the facility at the time of the collapse.
Don Barron, president of the American Postal Workers Union Local 259 in Tampa, told the news station he suspects a water leak or some other kind of incursion may have degraded the concrete used in the 30-to-40-foot-high wall.
He suggested there could be some package disruption. It is currently not safe for employees to go inside the building to retrieve any packages.
Click here for more FreightWaves/American Shipper stories by Eric Kulisch.
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