Old City building partially collapses, car crushed by rubble

Friday, June 4, 2021
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to a partial building collapse in Old City.

It happened around 12:30 a.m. Friday on the 200 block of Market Street.
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A top portion of an apartment building came down onto the sidewalk.

Residents were temporarily displaced and were cleared to back inside at 1:34 a.m.

The Action Cam found a car crushed by the falling debris. The bumper was hanging off and the side windows were smashed. A brick could be seen on the trunk.

The owner of the car came rushing to the scene around 5:30 a.m., completely astounded over what happened overnight.



"I have no car. It's gone," he said.



Charles Meredith walks along the sidewalk every day.
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"I could have been a victim. I could have been under that. You know what I mean?" Meredith said.

"It could have killed somebody. If this was yesterday afternoon, or last night, it would have killed somebody," remarked Maryanne Judge.

A pile of rubble remained in front of a bridal shop on the block. The sidewalk was taped off to pedestrian traffic.



There were heavy rains last night, but it has not yet been determined what caused the collapse.

PECO responded to fix a manhole cover that was broken by the debris.

No injuries have been reported and one person was displaced.
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