CAMBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - A woman was taken to a local hospital Monday after a heavy piece of electrical equipment fell at the Harvard MBTA station, said Cambridge Fire Chief Thomas Cahill.
Cahill said the incident happened Monday afternoon when the approximately 200 pound piece of equipment fell on the station’s Red Line inbound platform.
The equipment had been suspended from a pole within the station and hit a woman in her late 20s as it came down, Cahill said.
Cahill said the woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries.
The scene was clear as of around 5:15 p.m., though debris could still be seen on a Red Line platform roped off with caution tape.
Debris had been removed as of 9 p.m.
In a separate statement, MBTA spokesperson Joe Pesaturo said the equipment slid to the bottom of the column where it was attached.
“A supporting brace made contact with a customer who was standing on the platform, next to the column,” Pesaturo said.
Pesaturo said Red Line service was not impacted by this incident.
“While Red Line service continues, we are working to determine what caused the equipment to detach from its mounting,” Pesaturo said. “We will take all necessary measures to protect our riders and employees and secure our infrastructure for safer service.”
This incident comes a matter of weeks after a ceiling panel fell on a platform at Harvard station on March 1. Officials said the panel served to boost the aesthetics of the station and absorb noise, adding that it weighed between 20 and 25 pounds.
The T later released video of the incident, showing the panel narrowly missing a rider walking on the platform.
Officials announced plans to remove similar panels after the incident in March, eventually removing nearly 200 panels from Harvard station.
New MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng was on scene inspecting the aftermath of this latest incident at Harvard station on Monday.
Riders also reacted to the incident.
“It’s awful to hear that a piece of equipment fell and hit a woman,” one person said. “I think it points to the structural deficiencies of the T.”
“It’s not the ideal situation, I would say,” said rider Alex Heuss. “Generally, I feel okay on the T. But seeing the new equipment falling from the sky, I might have to reevaluate that.”
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