Update at 10:38 p.m.
ARCOLA, Ill. (WCIA) — A massive grain bin collapsed in Arcola on Thursday evening. Now, investigators are trying to figure out how.
It happened at the intersection of Illinois 133 and US 45. First responders say nobody was hurt but cleanup will be necessary in the upcoming days.
Here’s a timeline:
- 4:30 p.m. — All employees clocked out for the day and left the site.
- 6:30 p.m. — Eyewitnesses say they heard a booming noise and saw a large dust cloud in the area.
- 6:45 p.m. — The Division Manager got the call of what had happened.
First responders and city officials were dispatched to the site soon after.
Next steps include cleanup, which begins tomorrow. They will bring in heavy equipment like tractors and cranes to cleanup the area.
One eyewitness, Reyli Vega, said she heard it and saw the dust almost immediately.
“It kinda sounded like two cars that got in a car accident, because that’s what we thought at first, because we just heard that one sound. And then we’re like, okay, not that big of a deal,” Vega said. “But then a couple seconds later, we heard it again and it was really loud — like, louder than the first time — and then we look up and see the bins sliding down.”
The Division Manager at Growmark, Inc., the company that owns the bins, said the following in a statement:
Our team is actively investigating the cause of the failure in collaboration with local authorities. We are fully cooperating with all necessary agencies to assess the situation thoroughly and ensure appropriate measures are taken.
ARCOLA, Ill. (WCIA) — A grain bin collapsed in Arcola on Thursday.
The Arcola Fire Protection District confirmed the incident in a Facebook post. Officials advised the public to avoid the area of Illinois 133 and US 45 while the scene is attended to.
No further information has been given at this time.
This is a developing story.
