TYNAN, Texas —Two grain elevators collapsed in Tynan, Texas, on Tuesday, July 4, leaving one person dead.
According to Bee County Sheriff’s Office, law enforcement personnel alongside fire and EMS personnel responded to the incident where several people were reported to be trapped inside.
They were able to rescue two people who were then sent to the hospital. The search concluded Tuesday evening, with one male pronounced dead.
There was no immediate word on what caused the elevators to collapse or the circumstances in which they collapsed. However, according to construction company Borton, silo collapses are often a result of accumulated points for repair that cause stress to the silo's entire construction.
Common problems, Borton said, include the following:
- Foundation deterioration
- Roof collapse due to roof beam structural issues
- Improper material filling and unloading procedures in silos
- Silo wall delamination or deterioration
- Silo discharge cone or bin floor issues
- Corrosion and buckling (common for steel silos)