Front of Bronx building collapses into sidewalk shed, employees inside evacuate
BRONX (WABC) -- A section of a Bronx building under repair collapsed through a sidewalk shed on Wednesday morning.
The collapse on the sixth floor of the West Tremont Avenue building sent debris crashing onto the sidewalk shed at around 8:30 a.m.
"Upon arrival, we found a large section of the top floor wall had collapsed onto a scaffold on the sidewalk. A few tons of debris fell onto the sidewalk scaffold and collapsed it. FDNY units performed searches, ascertained the structural stability of the building, and determined fortunately there was nobody injured in the collapse," said Deputy Chief David Simms, FDNY.
"Everybody did what we had to do and we got out safely," said Maria Rivera, Department Director of Human Services. "I was very shaken up because it was so loud, it was so deafening, the sound of that crash, I thought something had hit the building."
She said she was grateful that the collapse happened Wednesday and not on Thursday.
Rivera said that on Thursdays, seniors line up in front of the building for "Senior Pantry" day.
The cause of the collapse is under investigation.
The preliminary investigation from the Department of Buildings said at the time of the collapse, construction workers were being hoisted up in a suspended scaffold along the front wall when a large section of the brick facade collapsed off the sixth floor and landed on the sidewalk shed below.
The construction workers were on site for a permitted facade replacement and repair project.
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