Around 10:45 this morning, a 4-story building in the process of being demolished at 2140 Market Street collapsed onto nearby buildings, a truck, and 14 people. Witnesses say a crane removed a support beam, causing the building to sway, around the same time that a backhoe hit the rear wall, pictured below.
“It was ground-shaking. The shaking of the ground made the man fall down,” said passerby Jordan McLaughlin according to Reuters.com. Another witness, Bernie DiTomo, testified that though the collapse was over in an estimated 30 seconds, it was still incredibly dangerous, AP.org reports.
“I heard a rumble, and a building and a sign fell on my truck,” DiTomo said of the only warning he got. Yet others were unsurprised by the collapse.
“For weeks they've been standing on the edge, knocking bricks off," said Patrick Glynn, a roofer working nearby. “You could just see it was ready to go at any time. I knew it was going to happen.”
Authorities are investigating the cause of the collapse, but officials claim there were no existing problems with the building in violation with city code, and the building company had the necessary permits to work.
12 of the victims were rescued from the rubble with minor injuries, while 2 remained trapped as of 1:45.
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