Crews search for missing worker after Phoenix, Arizona warehouse partial roof collapse

At least one worker remains unaccounted for after a partial roof collapse overnight at a large commercial building in Phoenix, Arizona, according to local authorities.

Firefighters began a search and rescue operation for a man around 4 a.m. Thursday after a microburst hit around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday and lifted the roof off of Freeport Logistics in west Phoenix, Phoenix Fire Department spokesman Capt. Todd Keller said.

He did not say whether it was known if the man inside was alive, adding search and rescue dogs had found no one. Keller underscored that it was not yet a recovery operation. "We will be out here as long as it takes," Keller said.

The Phoenix fire officials posted on X that the warehouse had a partial roof collapse Wednesday night, and employees told authorities one worker was still unaccounted for.

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A woman waiting in a parking lot adjacent to the front of the building said she was the sister of the unaccounted worker. She was accompanied by two other women. The three sobbed in between what appeared to be updates by officials.

First responders were unable to go inside due to the building's instability, an on-site police officer said.

Crews later brought a drone and several rescue dogs to try and locate the missing worker.

A worker in the building told officials the missing employee was in a forklift during the collapse, 12News reported, and crews were still searching as the building still stands.

Kyle Johnston, who owns Dial Manufacturing across the street from the front of the collapsed building, told the Arizona Republic , part of the USA TODAY Network that he arrived overnight to check for damage at his warehouse. There were screams from people inside the structure where the roof collapsed and there were families on the street shouting back names to try and make contact, he said.

"Horrible, horrible," Johnston said.

A pair of tractor trailers were laying sideways near the warehouse. There were fallen trees and branches on the streets leading to the impacted warehouse. Debris littered the street across the front of the building as cleanup crews swept. On West Fillmore Street and Van Buren, which is an entryway to the area the warehouse stands, a stop sign remained knocked over. On the Dial parking lot, some of the sun roofing had been torn off. About six dock doors at the Dial warehouse blew in with some roofing damage, Johnston said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Crews search for missing worker after Phoenix, Arizona warehouse partial roof collapse