FDNY finds no trapped victims under rubble after partial building collapse in Bronx

Part of a seven-story residential building in the Bronx collapsed Monday afternoon, leaving apartments exposed and walls sheared off as firefighters searched a heaping pile of debris through the evening for any victims who may have been trapped underneath, officials said.

Around 10:20 p.m., the FDNY said it had gone through "a large pile of debris," up to 12 feet high in spots, and had found no trapped victims. Two people had sustained minor injuries in the process of evacuating the building, the FDNY said.

"Miraculously, no one was severely injured at the partial building collapse at 1915 Billingsley Terrace," Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh posted on X. "From looking at the scene and surveillance footage, it could have been so much worse."

Emergency crews raced to the scene on Phelan Place and West Burnside Avenue in the Morris Heights neighborhood after 3:30 p.m., just a few blocks from the Major Deegan Expressway. Citizen App video showed the corner of the building collapsed to the street, with floors sagging above the debris piled below.

In the hours afterward, dozens of firefighters were seen sorting through the bricks, along with twisted and jumbled metal apparently from scaffolding that had stood around part of the building. A search dog could be seen on top of the pile, part of the search for anyone who could have been buried under the rubble.

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An employee of the bodega located at street level of the building told Telemundo 47 and NBC New York that people inside the shop were able to escape safely because they heard a loud noise followed by a stream of water after a pipe burst. That served as a warning that something was not right, and they all ran to safety before the collapse occurred minutes later.

Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that all those inside the store made it out before the collapse. The mayor later shared on social media they "have not confirmed any fatalities at this time."

"The ground was shaking," Angel Soto, a building resident, told Telemundo 47. "I thought it was an earthquake. I told my mom the ground is shaking. We open the building and the super is like, no the building is collapsing. We got to get out."

Earlier, FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh said that they were "deeply concerned that there may be people trapped under the debris."

The department also confirmed that the residential building was evacuated shortly after first responders arrived at the scene. Kavanagh posted on X, formerly Twitter, "the @FDNY is focused on life. We have no report of injuries at this time but our members, including our K-9 team, are looking for any people trapped."'

Kavanagh said at a press conference that a search of the rubble pile would be ongoing "for a few hours until we find someone or we confirm that there is no one here." The department said there is no timetable for the search, which officials said will continue until they reach the bottom.

In one apartment, a bed stood feet away from the edge of a floor that now jutted out into the air; in another, a portrait hanging on the wall was visible, along with a child's coat hanging in another one. Elsewhere, an armchair rested on a floor that tilted precariously down, like the top of a staved-in box.

New York City Emergency Management Department Commissioner Zachary Iscol said that all power and gas had been shut off to the building in the immediate aftermath of the collapse, and the Red Cross was at the scene to assist with individuals impacted.

The Red Cross was urging any displaced residents to go to to PS 396 at 1930 Andrews Avenue S for assistance.

The Department of Buildings said personnel are also on the scene investigating the collapse. DOB Commissioner Jimmy Oddo said that the six-story building dates back to 1927, and as with any building higher than 6 stories, it falls within New York City's façade law.

The owner of the building submitted the most recent report to the DOB in March 2021. There seven unsafe façade conditions, along with deteriorating mortar and cracked bricks, Oddo said, with work having been done on the building as recently as a few days ago. It did not appear any work was being done on Monday, the commissioner said.

There were seven open violations on the building, but none of which were structural; all had to do with the sidewalk shed around the outside of the building, regarding issues like improper lighting on it.

The commissioner said that the drawings that outline the façade work show the right-lower corner of the structure — which is where the collapse occurred — had known problems. Oddo said it is something DOB inspectors are hoping to look at.

Oddo did note that "unsafe façade conditions are not the same as an unsafe building."

Google Map images of the corner show what it used to look like, with the sidewalk shed wrapping around the building and the deli on the ground floor. That scaffolding was the subject of some of the prior violations, including one in which an inspector found wooden or metal platforms underneath it were deteriorating or missing. An inspector noted that it had the potential to lead to a stability risk.

Oddo said officials would scrutinize drawings pertaining to the collapsed area. The images were submitted as part of permitting for the façade work.

Over the summer, Mayor Adams and his building commissioner unveiled a sweeping overhaul of sidewalk shed rules intended to force buildings to get façade work done faster and get them removed. It was not immediately clear how long the sidewalk shed had been in place before Monday's building collapse.

Buildings Department records show the structure has nearly 50 apartments. Residents were being directed to a school to get help, and the city was parking buses near the building as a place to stay warm.

The NYPD issued an advisory asking the public to avoid the area. Meanwhile, the MTA detoured buses in the area of West Burnside Avenue in both directions. Metro-North Hudson Line service was temporarily suspended between Grand Central and Spuyten Duyvil due to the FDNY activity; service was later restored with delays.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.