Porches And Stairs Collapse At South Shore Apartment Building
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A woman was trapped in her third-floor apartment for some time Monday morning, after a porch and staircase collapsed in the South Shore neighborhood.
Chicago Fire Department officials said the concrete and metal front porch and part of the stairs of a 2 ½-story apartment building collapsed at 7870 S. Coles Ave.
Firefighters had to rescue a woman trapped in an apartment on the top floor.
"We heard a loud little boom, hurried up, got up, got up out of there," said James Anderson, who lives in the building. "I'm feeling blessed; ain't nobody get hurt."
No injuries were reported, but 12 people were left temporarily homeless. Some outdoor cooking equipment was destroyed in the collapse.
The Chicago Department of Buildings said the owner will be required to hire a structural engineer to determine the cause of the collapse. The owner also will need to hire an architect to redesign the porch to meet the code requirements and obtain permits to begin the work.