Woman Dies After Fall From Abandoned Minneapolis Grain Elevator

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A woman has died after falling in an abandoned grain elevator in Minneapolis, city fire officials said.

First responders were called to the Bunge grain elevator near the Como neighborhood around 10 p.m. Saturday.

The woman, who exploring the building with a group of friends, slipped off a ladder on the 10th floor and fell into a metal grain bin 30 feet below.

A doctor with the Minneapolis Fire Department had to be called in to assess her injuries before a rescue could be attempted.

It took first responders about an hour and half to get her out of the building.

It's not yet clear if the woman died at the scene or at the hospital. Her name has not been released.

The abandoned Bunge grain elevator is a draw for trespassers who want to see a view of downtown Minneapolis at night.

"We'd like all people to stay away from these properties," said Deputy Chief Todd White of the Minneapolis Fire Department. "There's no business there. They are very dangerous and no matter what the property owners or the city does to solidify the vacant building and close it up, there's ways in people go in. It's very dangerous. There's holes in floor, windows can fall out and there's no safe way to completely secure this building."

In 2006, 20-year-old Germaine Vigeant, a University of Minnesota student, died when she fell inside the building.