Edison Mayor Sam Joshi said a ceiling collapsed Friday morning at the Evergreen Meadows apartment on White Birch Avenue, injuring one resident who was taken to the hospital.
It's the second time in a week that an apartment ceiling has collapsed at the complex, with the first happening on Saturday, August 3, resulting in a minor injury to one resident.
At the time, Code Enforcement issued an unsafe structure notice to Garden Communities Management to address the concerns.
Following the second collapse, all units were ordered to be investigated for structural integrity. Eleven of the 12 structures were determined to be unsafe, leading to the immediate evacuation of about 280 apartment units and its residents.
"Management here was actually fixing problems without notifying the township, without having the proper permits. They were not fixing the problems adequately as they should have been and that's what resulted in these ceiling collapses," Mayor Joshi said.
Displaced residents are gathering at the senior center nearby as dozens of people inspect and work on the buildings. Mayor Joshi said they expect the safety issues to be addressed within 24-48 hours.
As Rikesh Patel collected belongings from his apartment, he still can't believe what it looks like now - after the entire ceiling caved in on his parents while asleep in bed.
"When I heard the sound, I was a bit shocked as soon as I woke up. And I was even more shocked by going into their room," said Patel.
Patel's 62-year-old parents were visiting from India to help with his newborn. Their family is not the only ones to have to abruptly leave 280 apartments - all 12 buildings at Evergreen Meadows.
In the meantime, the town is working on hotel accommodations for residents until the issue is resolved.
Investigators say weather was not to blame for the collapses, and residents blame years of neglect and improper maintenance.
Residents told Eyewitness News reporter Janice Yu that another ceiling collapsed several months ago, but say management hasn't done enough to ensure their safety.
"The management is really pathetic," said resident Sudhir Garg. "The are really slow to respond. It looks like these buildings are really old, and every time we kind of pray that nothing happens to us, because you here a scary story of someone's roof collapsing, and you're like, am I the next one?"
"Almost every building has an issue with the second floor ceilings. The sheet rock just pulls right off the nails... it goes catastrophic. It doesn't show signs of something squeaking or moving, it just goes down," said construction code official John Soltez.
Evergreen Meadows released a statement Friday saying,
"We can confirm that multiple buildings at Evergreen Meadows were evacuated on Friday, August 9, following an inspection indicating potential safety issues. We are grateful for the support and assistance our residents have received from the Township during a stressful situation, and we are committed to working toward a resolution that will ensure their ability to return safely to their homes as soon as possible."
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