CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority has removed 76 ceiling panels at the Harvard Square Red Line stop after a panel fell last week, nearly hitting a woman.
“Since the incident, ceiling panel inspections were conducted at Harvard Station during non-service Red Line hours,” an MBTA spokesperson said in a statement. “A total of 76 Harvard Station ceiling panels were removed out of an abundance of caution.” The MBTA said out of concern for the safety of customers and employees, ceiling panel inspections have been occurring at several other stations along the Red Line corridor between Central and Andrew Stations.
“In that moment… I didn’t really know, was is it a one-off situation or if more of the ceiling tiles were going to come falling down,” said Cianna Navarro, the 21-year-old woman who was one step away from being hit by the falling panel. “It has made me appreciate life more, I guess, you know, don’t take things for granted.”
Navarro said when the panel fell, she heard a loud boom and was covered in a cloud of black soot. ”One of the bystanders stopped to ask if I was okay and I remember responding, physically I’m fine, but I’m really shaken up, because I just remember my adrenaline was rushing, I was shaking,” Navarro said. “When I went to go close my mouth it just tasted like dirt. Like a mouthful of dirt and dust, it was disgusting.”
MBTA Interim General Manager Jeff Gonneville said his inspectors believe the panel fell after its supports corroded.
He explained the panels are decorative and hang from the ceiling. They were installed in 1978 but underwent a detailed inspection in 2021.
Due to the design of the station, there was no clear view of the problem area, and the issue went undetected during that latest inspection.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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