Family of 4 survives partial house collapse in Camden, New Jersey

CAMDEN, N.J. (WPVI) -- It was a close call for a family of four in Camden after their home cracked open and partially collapsed.

And now family members tell Action News they have nowhere to go.

It was just after 11:00 p.m. Sunday when the brick facade of the home in the 400 block of Line Street crumbled to the ground.

During the partial collapse, Niger Ali's mom, dad, sister and 2-year-old niece were inside.

"My dad said he heard a swoosh, next think you know he saw the streets," Ali told Action News.

The foursome got out safely.

Ali had his two children, who also live in the home with him, in the car with him on a food run.

"Could've been dead," he said, gesturing to the rubble. "I would've been underneath all that."

Ali is thankful but frustrated. The family has owned the house since the 1980s, and once the home next door was demolished in 2003, Ali's home had structural issues and needed repairs.

"It had three fires," he said, referring to the house next door. "Then they had to demolish it because the owners died. Then it became a crack house, then they tore it down. But they never refaced the side or completed the work."

This past week the family got an ultimatum from the city: fix the house or move out next week.

But Ali says he couldn't afford repairs. The estimate he received to make the repairs cost upwards of $40,000.

Then came Sunday night's collapse, their worst fear.

"Not sure, not sure," said Ali. "Don't have nowhere to go."

Overnight police protected the belongings inside and by morning city crews blocked off the street, removed cars in the lot next door and brought out the 'Board Up' crew, PSEG, and teams to assess the damage.

Then they will decide if and when they demolish the home.

Meantime, it's too dangerous for Ali to go inside and get the family's belongings, including his mother's medicine.

The American Red Cross is helping, but the family has no long-term plan.