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Roof Collapses At South Suburban Clothing Store

EVERGREEN PARK, Ill. (CBS) – A retail employee had a close shave Saturday when the roof of a clothing store caved in, moments after she left the building.

By Saturday afternoon, the Casual Male store on 95th Street in Evergreen Park was partly collapsed, with air ducts, support beams, ceiling tiles and lights spilled onto the floor. One brick wall was bowed.

The employee working inside earlier in the day heard noises in the ceiling and was told by her employer to leave the premises, Evergreen Fire Department Chief Ron Kleinhaus says.

"She walked out and as she walked out the door, the roof collapsed," he told CBS 2. "We're lucky there was nobody inside or we'd be digging people out of the rubble right now."

The force of the debris kept the front door open.

Crews later boarded up the building, which officials said would probably need to be torn down.  Kleinhaus said structural stress probably caused the cave-in.

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