Crews demolishing partially collapsed building in Salem, State Street still closed

A demolition crew is in downtown Salem working to demolish a building that partially collapsed in the area Sunday afternoon.

According to a Facebook post from the Salem Fire Department, a building on the 100 Block of North Broadway Avenue near the Sugartree Alley intersection has partially collapsed.

A representative from the Salem Fire Department tells 21 News the building was slated to be demolished within the next week, but this incident caused the process to initiate sooner than expected. Fire crews speculate that the rain had caused the roof to partially cave in.

As of Monday morning, our 21 News crew at the scene saw workers working on the roof of a neighboring building as the partially collapsed building is being demolished.

A backhoe has been brought in to demolish the building. State Street is still closed and the public is asked to avoid the downtown area until the demolition is completed.

This is a developing story. Stay connected online and on air for the latest updates.