The Nation - News from July 11, 1988

A fallen utility transformer that was struck by lightning during an intense thunderstorm may have contributed to the collapse of a Brownsville, Tex., department store that killed 14 people and injured 47 others, Mayor Ygnacio Garza said. Witnesses reported seeing lightning strike the metal transformer, which was mounted to an H-shaped pole structure behind the Amigo Store, Garza said. The mayor said that workers who began the initial removal of rubble after the collapse Thursday pulled the transformer from atop the debris. Officials believe that the transformer fell against the rear of the three-story building, already straining under the weight of rainwater pooling up on the flat roof.