A mixture of asbestos and water damage sent a 2-foot portion of ceiling in the Danna Student Center crumbling down.
The incident resulted in complete closure of the building starting at around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 12.
An email sent out by the Office of Public Affairs stated that the damage was due to a presence of asbestos in the ceiling.
According to the email, no one was injured from the damage.
A team of maintenance workers specializing in asbestos removal was dispatched to the remove the substance and to clean the area.
According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention website, asbestos is six different fiber minerals that can be found in building materials such as roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles and is harmful to humans when exposed in large amounts.
All students were asked to leave the building by Loyola police officers, although administrators and maintenance workers continued to enter and exit the building periodically.
Students congregated on the Danna Center porch and the Monroe Library as they waited for further information.
Chika John, mass communication senior, was one of the students inside the Danna Center when the ceiling fell.
“I saw them blocking up stuff and then I looked up at the ceiling and put two and two together and realized the ceiling fell. It freaked me out for a minute,” John said.
Signs were posted on the doors of the Danna Center by Loyola University Police Department and administrators to notify students of the closure of the building.
The Orleans Room remained open under normal operating hours since the Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system was not affected by the damage, according to the email.
Students were allowed to enter the OR through the side entrance near the West Road Garage.
All other entrances to the building would remain locked and closed until test results show the air quality is safe, the email stated.
As of Wednesday, the university had not issued any further statement regarding the reopening of the Danna Center.
Alicia Serrano may be reached at [email protected]
John Whyte, physics pre-engineering freshman, is denied access to the Danna Student Center. The building was closed after part of the ceiling fell on Wednesday, March 12. (MARLIN WILLIFORD/Photo Editor)
