Crews Rescue Tenants Trapped In Uniontown Building Collapse
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UNIONTOWN (KDKA) -- Emergency officials in Fayette County rescued residents trapped in a building collapse in Uniontown Tuesday afternoon.
The collapse happened just before 4 p.m. at an apartment building in the 400 block South Mount Vernon Avenue Ext.
According to Fayette County Emergency Management, the collapse happened as heavy storms passed through the area. Crews were responding to several weather-related incidents nearby at the same time.
Officials say the people who were trapped are now accounted for and have been removed from the debris.
The building houses nine apartments and 15 people lived there, but only five were home at the time of what is being called a partial collapse. A couple on the first floor, Bill and Shelly Machesky, were about to sit down to dinner when the second floor of the building gave way.
"My husband I don't see, and I'm calling him, and he says, 'I'm here, I'm here,' and he's under the table. All the debris that you see there was on top of him," said Shelly.
Neighbors called 911.
Lisa Washington's Report:
"When we first got there, we could see just the man, just his eyes. So we went in through the front structure, there was four of us. We got some of the debris, a big beam was removed from over top of him, some furniture. We tied a rope around him and had him brought outside," said South Union Township Fire Chief Rick McCormick. "Guys helped us bring him out up through the floor."
Shelly was nearby.
"She was in the hallway right above him. She wasn't under the debris, but she was stuck in the hallway from the debris," Chief McCormick said.
The couple was taken to Uniontown Hospital in stable condition. Shelly was released later that same evening.
"Totally grateful. Like my husband said, 'There is a God.' No one can survive something like this and not say that," Shelley said.
Officials said the building was about 100-years-old. The city code inspector was called in to do an inspection and condemned the building.
The Red Cross is assisting the displaced residents.
The cause of the collapse is yet to be determined.
In other parts of Fayette County, at the same time, heavy rain was causing flash flooding. High water was reported off of Route 21 in McClellandtown.
KDKA's Pam Surano Reports:
A Flash Flood Warning was in effect there until 7:15 p.m.
KDKA Chief Meteorologist Jeff Verszyla says the heaviest rain is beginning to shift out of the area.
"Early evening shower threat, I think through about 6:30 or 7 o'clock, then mild and muggy tonight with lingering clouds," Verszyla says. "The daily shower chance will continue Thursday and into Friday, scattered showers."
Flash Flood Warning including Uniontown PA, Masontown PA, Oliver PA until 7:15 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/G2nC4Iw2J3
— NWS Pittsburgh (@NWSPittsburgh) July 31, 2018
A tree also came down along Route 40 in Redstone Township, pulling some utility lines down with it.
Elsewhere, the storms brought down a tree off of Ridge Road in Waynesburg, Greene County. About 12 miles away, the Carmichaels Volunteer Fire Company has cancelled bingo tonight because of storm damage.
And, in Allegheny County, flash flooding made Becks Run Road in Carrick impassable near Brownsville Road. A fire truck was brought in to block the road so cars wouldn't get trapped in the high water.