Glass walkway cracks above 103 storey drop
The view from the Willis Tower before the glass cracked. Picture: Supplied
A glass ledge above a 103 storey drop has cracked under the feet of terrified crowds.
Authorities temporarily closed “The Ledge” at Chicago’s Willis Tower on Thursday when cracks formed in the glass of one of the skywalk boxes.
The glass enclosure at the Skydeck on the 103rd floor began to shatter when a group of visitors stepped onto the surface to take a photo.
Alejandro Garibay, 23, was with his brother and two cousins when they heard the cracking noise.
"We heard a large sound when it cracked and then we felt it," he told WGN News. "I felt it on the palm of my hand cracking and I looked down and I could see it all cracking and lines going through the glass and so we just immediately jumped off as fast as we could."
A spokesman for Willis Tower, Bill Utter, said no one was in danger as it was only the protective coating that was damaged.
"This protective coating occasionally cracks,” said Mr Utter. “Usually when someone has something sharp in their pocket and it gets poked. It did what it was designed to do."
The three remaining undamaged Ledge enclosures remained open whilst the fourth was undergoing repairs.
Source: WGN News
Author: Danielle Robertson, Approving editor: Simon Black
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
