Parking garage collapse caused by broken steel girder; no one hurt
The partial collapse of a parking garage above a supermarket in Wormerveer on Tuesday was caused by a broken steel girder underneath the concrete floor, according to the initial findings of the municipality's investigation. No one was injured in the collapse, ANP reports.
The municipal investigation also determined that the parking garage did not have the same type of floor as another garage that collapsed in Eindhoven last year. The municipality will conduct a thorough investigation into how the collapse happened.
The second floor of the Deka supermarket parking garage collapsed onto the first floor around noon on Tuesday. For a long time it was unclear whether anyone was hurt. Emergency services had to wait for experts to determine whether it was safe to investigate. Once it was, sniffer dogs and their handlers were sent in to look for any victims. None were found.
Cars parked in the garage were unable to leave on Tuesday. The supermarket, which also sustained some damage in the collapse, also remained closed for the rest of the day. Owners of cars in the parking garage can contact the municipality of Zaanstad on Wednesday to find out how to proceed.