Update, 6:30 p.m.

Penn State sent out two more University Park alerts, sharing that the Susan Welch building is all clear but will be closed until further notice.

Original Story:

State College Police and Fire have responded to an incident at the Susan Welch building on campus. A University Park alert went out at 1:57 p.m., telling students to avoid the area.

“We got a call that there was a loud explosion and there were people trapped in the building,” the chief of Alpha Fire Company said on the scene.

According to the fire department, the floor settled 2 inches, and there is a crack about 1 1/2 inches from the second floor to the roof.

“We did have to rescue one person that the doors were jammed because the floor shifted,” the chief said. “Nobody got hurt; everybody is fine. The building is clear.”

Building engineering for Penn State, along with the bomb squad, swept the building, but no one else has been allowed in at this time. The cause is still unknown, but they suspect the foundation could have shifted or a steam line broke. No smoke alarms sounded to signify a burst.

After the building engineers and the steam technicians finish surveying the area, the fire department will do a final sweep of the building.

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