LINTON, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) — UPDATE: According to the Linton Police Department, State Road 59 South is now open in Linton. Debris is still being removed from the location, so the department asks drivers to move through the area with caution. East Vincennes is still closed.
The building collapsed shortly after 6:30 p.m. and was first reported as an explosion. The Linton fire department, along with the state fire marshal’s office, and chief of police all responded.
The mayor says the back wall of the building fell in and that caused the roof to come down. There was no one in the building at that time.
We contacted the building’s owner Herold Smith, a small investor. He says he’s very thankful no one got hurt. Smith intended for the building to house commercial spaces.
The chief of Linton fire department Eric Carpenter says his team is working hard to clear the debris.
“As you can see, we have efforts going on right now to do that. we have water pression efforts going on to keep the dust down. our goal is to get the highway opened up by the end of business tomorrow,” said Carpenter.
Carpenter says other buildings in Linton will receive routine quality checks to avoid another incident. Meanwhile… Smith hopes to continue growth in downtown Linton but putting 20 new apartments on North Main Street.
