Ceiling collapses at UT campus building

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Part of the ceiling of a building on the University of Texas at Austin campus collapsed Sunday afternoon, according to the university.

The ceiling was over an outdoor patio of the Norman Hackerman Building on East 24^th Street.

During an initial response, the Austin Fire Department evacuated the building as a precaution.

University officials said there were no injuries or damaged research or research equipment, and the building has already reopened with restricted access to and around the patio.

“The ceiling that collapsed was a decorative element and was not tied into the building’s core structural elements, so there are no concerns about the soundness of the building,” UT said.

The university said it would work to assess the cause of the failure and develop a mitigation plan.