SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Fire Department said a portion of a downtown street is closed for hours ahead of a busy weekend due to “weakened” construction scaffolding.
In a Friday news conference, SAFD Battalion Chief Wesley West told reporters that East Commerce Street, between North Flores Street and Soledad Street, is expected to be closed for at least the next 12 hours.
West said fire officials responded to reports of scaffolding that was about to collapse. He added that the structure had “weakened” scaffolding.
Officials then cleared nearby sidewalks and streets as they made their way to buildings in the area to ensure everyone was safe, West said.
According to West, the scaffolding contractor is currently en route to San Antonio. West also stated that the contractor has a plan to stabilize the scaffolding and then dismantle it from the top down.
The process could take 12 to 15 hours. No injuries have been reported.
A Sunday SAPD preliminary report states that the bottom portion of the 10-story building, surrounded by scaffolding on every level, began collapsing on the East Commerce Street side. Workers inside were prompted to evacuate.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.
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