Officials To Decide Fate Of Building That Collapsed In Woodhaven, Queens
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Crews on Saturday were expected to decide whether to save or demolish a Queens building after a dangerous collapse.
As CBS 2's Janelle Burrell reported, the mishap at the building at 78-19 Jamaica Ave. in the Woodhaven section of Queens sent bricks pouring onto the streets. Subway service had resumed Saturday morning after being shut down following the collapse, but Jamaica Avenue remained blocked off.
Meanwhile, bricks still littered the streets after the building collapsed in on itself from the soaking rains.
The collapse happened just after 6 p.m. Friday. The commercial building was vacant at the time and has been for four or five years, CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez reported.
Authorities said they will investigate to see if the building is structurally sound.
"That could be a factor and again I think we have to get in there with [Department of Buildings] and do an investigation to see if that really did have an impact," FDNY Assistant Chief Edward Baggott said.
Firefighters told Sanchez the heavy rain the Tri-State Area has been experiencing lately may have caused the incident.
No injuries were reported. Two cars, however, were badly damaged, including a minivan belonging to Gary Gonzalez.
It sounds like a big boom and the building shake a little bit. But I didn't think it was nothing crazy so I left it like that. I was upstairs changing and then somebody came upstairs to say the building collapsed on my van.
"It sounded like a big boom and the building shake a little bit, but I didn't...there was nothing crazy. So I left it like that. I was upstairs changing and somebody came to get me upstairs and they said the building collapse on my van," Gonzalez said. "I was a little upset, but I was glad that I was not in the car."
As a precaution, J train service was temporarily suspended to prevent vibrations that could have caused further damage to the building.
Gonzalez was just thankful that no one was hurt.
"Probably I could not be alive right now," he said.
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