A Kansas City Family Dollar roof collapsed over the weekend, killing one person and injuring three others.
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As reported by The Kansas City Star, citing a Kansas City Fire Department (KCFD) spokesperson, Michael Hopkins, the incident occurred at around 2:45 p.m. on Sunday, July 27. The roof of a Family Dollar store located on Broadway Boulevard in Kansas City, Missouri, partially collapsed.
Responding KCFD personnel found the front facade of the Family Dollar Building collapsed. Upon inspecting the area, it was discovered that one person had died as a result of the collapse. As per Fox 4, the fatal victim was identified as a 68-year-old man.
One victim, a 50-year-old woman, was rushed to a local hospital, having suffered serious injuries. Hopkins initially revealed that the individual was in stable condition. However, as per KSHB, her condition was upgraded to critical.
Additionally, two other victims were treated at the scene and refused additional treatment.
A couple of bystanders shared photos with KSHB, showing the partially collapsed Family Dollar, with rubble scattered across the street. Reportedly, bystanders pulled people out of the collapsed building.
As a result, Broadway Boulevard was closed between 36th and 38th streets for several hours. Currently, the Kansas City Police Department is investigating the incident, given that one person died.
According to Hopkins, it is unknown whether any structural integrity concerns were reported in the past regarding the building. Moreover, the KCFD spokesperson didn’t have information on when the Family Dollar was last inspected.
Concerns
KMBC reported that many people had expressed their concern over the building’s integrity before the incident occurred. One man, Rob Dixon, reportedly recorded a video of the Family Dollar’s leaning roof. Additionally, the outlet found that an official complaint was filed by a resident on Friday, July 25, two days before the collapse.
Furthermore, one of the store’s employees, who chose to remain anonymous, reportedly contacted the building’s landlord about the building’s structure.
A Family Dollar spokesperson addressed the incident via a statement shared with PEOPLE.
“We are deeply saddened by the tragedy at the leased Family Dollar store on Broadway Boulevard in Kansas City,” the statement read. “Our hearts and thoughts are with those impacted. We are conducting wellness checks with our employees and offering them resources and assistance. The Company is conducting an investigation into this matter.”