Neighbors describe frightening moments when NYC parking garage collapsed in Lower Manhattan
NEW YORK -- Many people in the dense Financial District neighborhood could feel and see when a parking garage collapsed Tuesday afternoon.
One person was killed and at least five were injured.
CBS2's Ali Bauman spoke to residents who live in the building right next to the parking garage. They share a wall and say when it collapsed, it broke holes through some of their apartments.
"The wall just started giving way, and I had two heavy, free-standing closets that were near the wall, and they went over and they weigh a ton. Then all of a sudden, all the bricks were inside my place," resident Sandy Imhoff said.
Imhoff was able to quickly evacuate with the help of her neighbor, Christine Iu.
"It was just a loud, rumbling, free-for-all, like burying, just crashing down," she said.
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Both neighbors say they did not realize what was happening at first because they're so used to the freight elevator in the garage shaking their apartments.
"There's been cracks in our building because of the freight elevator shaking our building," Iu said.
"They were doing a lot of construction, like really heavy duty this morning," Imhoff said.
Several drivers came through to check on their cars parked in the garage, many of which are totaled.
Jim Slattery says he parked in that garage for the first time Tuesday and was at an appointment when it happened.
"My phone was blowing up. My wife was calling me, friends were calling me. Finally my wife did get ahold of me, and she says, 'Did you go into that parking lot?' I said yes. She said, 'I think it collapsed.' Because she was hearing on the news. And sure enough, friends are calling me, same thing, and then I was told by staff upstairs, the parking lot, there's a collapse in it," he said.
Slattery says he parked there just minutes before the collapse and is grateful he wasn't inside at the time.
"The building looked solid to me. I parked there this morning," witness Louis Galpern said.
But for Galpern and other residents in the area, property is replaceable; the garage employees are not.
"I park my car over there every day for the last 10 years, and I know there's six wonderful people, they work hard, and I feel terrible about what's going on over there," witness Louis Galpern said.
"We're also very close to our garage guys. That's part of our neighborhood, and our neighbors who also look out for us as well as we look out for them, so I'm concerned," Iu said.
Mike Kurylo lives in a neighboring building.
"It was the noise, it was the thunder-like sound and I was like, wow, that's really loud, and I looked out of that window and I saw the sun and I'm like, that's weird. And then I, the building started to shake, it was a prolonged shake, and I looked out of this window and that's when I saw the debris or smoke rising up and I screamed to my son and said, let's get out of the building right now. We grabbed shoes and we just ran down the stairs," he said. "I had been here when the 7 World Trade Center collapsed and I remember the smoke rising up and it just kind of triggered like, just get out."
"Lots of folks are very kindly checking in on us, so I'm glad. It's lovely, people checking in, and we're fine, thankfully, that's important thing. I'm sorry for the folks who that's not the case for," Anastasia Kurylo said.
Watch Dave Carlin's report
Two Pace University buildings were evacuated, including one residence hall, but those students were being allowed back in Tuesday night.
Some of those students had a bird's eye view from their dorm rooms.
"I just felt shaking like an earthquake," Pace University student Hinako Tanakamaru said.
"Power lines were stripped over the cars, and there was rubble covering up cars on the ground, and it looked like they were completely crushed," Pace University student Joey Weldon said.
Pace's classes that usually take place in 161 William St. will be held remotely Wednesday.
As the hours passed, hotel guests on the block were told to pack up and find somewhere else to sleep Tuesday night. Tourist Molly Fidalgo said she had no idea what she was going to do.
"It's like 3 a.m. in England. All my family's asleep. They're not gonna be able to help me out or anything, so I don't know. It's a bit scary, really," she said.
The DOB issued a full vacate order for the following addresses:
- 49 Ann St., which is a 18- story hotel,
- 55 Ann St., which is a four-story mixed occupancy building with four units,
- And 25-27 Beekman St., which is a six-story parking garage.
A partial vacate order was issued for 157 William St., a 22-story commercial building with 15 units, and 29 Beekman St., a 34-story commercial building with three units.
