The incident took place on Friday at Harvard Square station in Cambridge.
No injuries were reported.
A surveillance video gaining traction on social media has captured the terrifying moment a ceiling panel collapsed and nearly landed on a woman at a subway station outside Boston. According to The Independent, the incident took place on Friday at Harvard Square station in Cambridge.
The video shared on Twitter showed the woman walking towards the stairs at the station. Right before she reached the stairs, a piece of ceiling crashed down, releasing a cloud of black dust. The woman appeared visibly stunned and she stood for a few seconds before walking around the debris.
Watch the video below:
▶️ Woman nearly hit by falling ceiling panel at Boston subway stop#USpic.twitter.com/nH4Iifw2o5
— Sayed Sajid (@sayyedsajid394) March 6, 2023
No injuries were reported. As per the BBC, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MBTA) said that the panel was installed in the 1980s, and weighed about 11kg because of moisture build-up. The officials believe that corrosion from water caused the panel to fall.
The department further added that it had now removed any other panels from the station that posed an immediate safety concern. MBTA also announced that it would carry out inspections on panels in all of its stations.
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“Ten ceiling panels have been removed at the station and panels at all T stations will be inspected,” the MBTA said,” as per The Independent.
Separately, in a Twitter post, the department explained, “Our initial findings show that over time water had accumulated in the panel insulation & corroded the metal rivets holding it in place. We’re removing the remaining non-structural panels as a precaution & so we can thoroughly investigate the ceiling & source of water intrusion.”
Our initial findings show that over time water had accumulated in the panel insulation & corroded the metal rivets holding it in place. We’re removing the remaining non-structural panels as a precaution & so we can thoroughly investigate the ceiling & source of water intrusion. pic.twitter.com/9zY7TemPL8
— MBTA (@MBTA) March 3, 2023
“The safety of our riders and employees is paramount. As such, we’ll make any necessary changes to the structures and panels to shield against future incidents,” MBTA added in a following tweet.