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A months-old luxury shopping mall and multi-use building in Mexico City partially collapsed last week just minutes after the building was evacuated, blocking lanes of traffic in one of the city’s busiest areas.
What Happened
Officials say that mall operators at the Artz Pedregal, which opened in March, noticed that separation was occurring between the overhang and the rest of the building and began evacuating patrons from the area. No injuries were reported.
The collapse occurred in an office area of the glass-paneled cantilevered building. Mexico City Mayor Jose Ramon Amieva noted that the building has had issues in the past and the accident’s investigation will look at whether there was a structural defect or if soil is to blame.
In 2016, construction was delayed after an underground leak caused a landslide. Mexico City's head of civil protection Fausto Lugo, however, went on record to say that he thought the cause was structural.
The 1.5 million-square-foot complex was designed and built by firm Grupo Sordo Madaleno, and parts of it were still under construction.
"We’re working with local protection and safety authorities to determine the causes," Oscar Kaufmann, spokesperson for Sordo Madaleno said in a statement. "Fortunately, it was detected on time and we were able to immediately implement safety protocols."
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