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Calgary inspectors examine building after glass falls to street

CALGARY — Engineers from the City of Calgary were expected to examine a building under construction Sunday after chunks of glass broke off a large pane and crashed to the street below.

CALGARY — Engineers from the City of Calgary were expected to examine a building under construction Sunday after chunks of glass broke off a large pane and crashed to the street below.

An official with the fire department said that chunks of glass smashed onto the street Saturday, narrowly missing vehicles stopped at a traffic light in the city’s downtown.

Kevin Griffiths, a spokesman for the city, said they were taking precautions until engineers could determine how the glass broke off a pane of glass on one of the top floors of the building.

Two lanes of traffic on a major road near the building were closed as a precaution, he said.

Workers were at the site when the incident occurred, said Griffiths.

Fire department spokesman Jeff Budai said glass was still coming down when crews arrived at the 20-storey building about 1 p.m. Saturday.

“I think we were pretty fortunate,” said Budai.

Traffic was shut down on a major street while the fire department’s high-angle team lowered a member about two metres down from the roof to the broken pane of glass.

Budai said most of the pane of glass, measuring about 1.5 metres wide by 2 metres high, was hoisted up by ropes while smaller shards still stuck to the window frame were collected in a bag.