Part Of Building's Facade In Old City Crashes Onto Sign, Car On Market Street
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Part of a building's facade in Old City Philadelphia crashed onto a city sign and a parked car overnight. It also sent tenants from upper-floor apartments onto Market Street.
At the stroke of midnight Friday, bricks came crashing down from that roof. Fire officials believe it was the result of all the rain the region received on Thursday.
"It sounded like a car crash," Old City resident Zach Bergman said. "Head-on collision. I looked and there was debris everywhere and it was like a bomb went off."
Yesterday's rain wreaked havoc on this building's facade. The partial collapse cracked a manhole cover and damaged a parked car. @CBSPhilly pic.twitter.com/ZOM9MTQnKW
— Alecia Reid (@alecia__reid) June 4, 2021
A number of shocked onlookers gathered to take in the debris. It's a miracle no one was walking by at the time of the collapse. Fire officials say the debris caved in a manhole that was nearby, also damaging a vehicle.
One of the tenants that is now displaced was home at the time. She heard a loud thud and thought something fell in her apartment. She went looking but didn't see anything.
"Oh man, I wish I had the presence of mind to look outside my building," resident Jinsy Jacob said.
About five minutes later, she says firefighters were knocking at her door telling her to evacuate.
"Unfortunately, I'll be displaced from my beautiful beloved apartment for a little longer than anticipated," Jacob said.
She says this is an apartment she wished for and was eventually able to rent six years ago. After about a year she left town, and interestingly enough once she was ready to move back to Philly the apartment was once again available.
Although there's no damage to any of the apartments or the bridal shop on the first floor, power was turned off to assess the situation. PECO was on scene Friday morning.
"I hope we'll be reunited soon," Jacob said.