Several lanes at the intersection of Windhorst Road and Parsons Avenue in Brandon remained closed for the indefinite future as county workers tread carefully in determining what caused a section of the roadway to collapse July 19.
“We have to be really careful at that intersection because there are lots of utility lines in the area,” said Hillsborough County spokesman Patrick Murray. "We have a sewer line and a water line there and we have to make sure there are no other utilities, so we have to be careful drilling.”
At the scene, late afternoon July 22, barricades were seen at the intersection, with drilling under way.
Crew workers first believed a 16-inch sewage pipeline beneath the intersection might have caused the collapse of the 6-foot-square section of roadway on July 19, according to a county report.
But the sewer line was dug up and found to be intact. Now the county is testing the intersection for sinkholes — but carefully, as Murray noted.
Additional detours and lane closures are possible as crews dig up the line for inspection and any necessary repairs.
Motorists who must travel through the intersection are warned to expect delays.
Starr DiGiacomo
Vineland dam in danger
VINELAND -- City and county emergency workers braced late Monday night for an anticipated collapse of Willow Grove Lake dam here at the Cumberland and Salem county border.
Shortly before 6 p.m., Cumberland County issued an advisory that repair efforts were losing ground to fast-moving floodwater.
"They can't keep up with it anymore," county spokeswoman Kim Wood said.
Wood said there was no time estimate for a collapse, but that there was a "strong possibility" it would happen.
"The water then is going to move swiftly down Maurice River (Parkway) and Riverside Drive," Wood said. "That's where the concern is."
The National Guard was on the scene late Monday evening to help local crews try to hold the dam and roadway together.
"We've done repair work throughout the day, trying to shore up damage to the roadway," Vineland fire Chief Robert Pagnini said Monday evening. "There still is a strong possibility we may lose the roadway completely."
We're continuing to bring in loads of rock to stabilize that," said Pagnini, who also is Vineland Office of Emergency Management coordinator. "But we continue to have water flowing over the road and undermining the surface. So it is a battle against Mother Nature. We're using riprap, 8-inch rock. Anything smaller than that will be washed away."
Water spilled over the top of Willow Grove Lake dam on both the Cumberland and Salem sides, menacingly circling nearby homes and prompting evacuations.
When portions of the road gave way, Cumberland County officials ordered the delivery of more than 150 tons of stone from Garoppo Stone and Garden Center to stabilize the road and help brace the dam.
"It's a critical situation," Cumberland County Freeholder Director William Whelan said.
One section of the road that collapsed ran from the road's center yellow line to the shoulder, Whelan said.
Some Vineland residents pulled their cars out of flooded driveways and parked them farther down along on Weymouth Road ready for a quick get away, if needed.
Joan Giocondo watched the water surround the house she has called home nearly all her life. Her sentimental attachment to the house compounded the emotional toll of the flooding.
http://www.thedailyjournal.com/article/20110830/NEWS01/108300328
Aug 31, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Beechview Water Main Break Causes Damage Throughout Neighborhood
Water Main Break In Beechview Causes Road Collapse, Other Damages
Posted: 11:43 am EDT August 31, 2011Updated: 3:38 pm EDT August 31, 2011
BEECHVILLE, Pa. -- A water main break in Beechview has caused major damage to property on Kenberma Street.The road collapsed due to excess amounts of water, trapping some people’s vehicles in their driveways.“It definitely disturbs me. I do have things that I have to do. I have things to attend to. I have errands that I run,” Nicole Burks said.Tom Ferrieri’s house and yard was affected by the water main break.“The deck moved about 3 inches,” Ferrieri said. “And in my pool, the sand’s washed out from underneath. There was so much water coming through my yard, to me it looked like a river.”On Wednesday morning officials said cleanup crews were at the scene removing debris and people were taking damage assessments.“We’ll probably have to take the pool down, the fence down,” Ferrieri said. “It’s just a big mess.”
http://www.wpxi.com/news/29038320/detail.html
Sep 1, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Wall collapse kills five in Mumbai
MUMBAI: Five teenagers were killed on Saturday after a compound wall collapsed in Sewree in South Mumbai following incessant rains in the metropolis.
The incident took place around 2.30pm when the Jubilee Mill compound wall at T J Road collapsed killing the youngsters, officials from disaster management cell of the Brihnamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.
The deceased have been identified as Sayeed Ali Shaha (11), Noor Mohammed Shaha (18), Ghulam Moinuddin Majiula Khan (12), Adnan Hasan (12) and Shaufiq Sheikh (17).
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-09-03/mumbai/30110...
Sep 4, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Fazilka flood claimed 700 houses, 2 lives
Floods have led to the collapse of about 700 houses, death of two persons and 40 cattle were washed away. While one middle-aged man died due to a house collapse, another drowned in Gheerawala village.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dr S Karuna Raju, “We are yet to locate the families of the deceased. As of now, we are busy in removing the dead carcasses because they can cause an epidemic in the area. Water has started receding now, so health measures are more important. Already, medical camps are flooded with cases of skin ailments and mild fever.” The Ferozepur administration had spent around Rs 40 lakh from flood relief funds and will need another Rs 30 lakh, the DC added.
About three weeks ago, one bridge each has been washed away at Hazarewala and Gatti Rajoke. Though a temporary structure has been erected, it is unsafe. Balbir Singh, a resident of Churiwala village, said: “No one dares to walk on this structure. Construction on a new bridge had started about an year ago, but it is yet to be completed. Had the work been completed in time, we would not have suffered this much.”
The villagers either park their vehicles away from the bridge and walk for few kilometres to reach their destination or they take a boat. Jarnail Singh, another villager, said: “Every year, during the rainy season, our villages suffer the most and still do not have better infrastructure. The damage to these two bridges has affected the transportation in about 15 villages.” The affected villages included Chandiwala, Kamalewala, Rajoke, Bhakra, Khunderwala and Chinesinghwala Jhuge.
According to preliminary reports, 27,000 acres of crop has been affected - the damage will be assessed in a week. Road network between 45 villages has also resulted in damage worth crores.
The villagers, meanwhile, are unhappy with the compensation they are being given for their loss.
http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/fazilka-flood-claimed-700-h...
Sep 4, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
North State Road Collapse Not Easy To Repair
BRIARCLIFF MANOR, N.Y. – A large sinkage on North State Road between Route 9A and Pleasantville Road will likely take two months or more to fix, village Manager Philip Zegarelli said.
"This is not just an easy 'Let's just throw in a few yards of concrete'... There's a gas line, water main, sewer main, electrical oil static line and (Department of Transportation) junction boxes for signals all in that one spot. It has to be redesigned to match what the needs are of today," Zegarelli said.
The village manager called the area where the sinkage is a "culvert," meaning that there is an underground opening there, fed by a few water pipes, where water collects before flowing out through a larger pipe.
During Hurricane Irene, the ground around the culvert eroded, causing the road above it to collapse, Zegarelli said.
Since the road where the sinkage occurred is a major east-west linkage in Briarcliff, school bus companies have been advised to reschedule bus times to fit alternate routes, Zegarelli added.
"It's going to take a minimum of two months before the road is open," the village manager said. "There's a DOT component, a utility component, we've got to bring Con Ed in, and a sewage line has to be rerouted there. The strategy is, 'What is the best long-term solution to a very difficult problem?'"
Peggy Minnis, a professor of environmental science and chemistry at Pace University said that sink holes form when the ground becomes saturated with water and the soil begins to act as a fluid medium rather than a solid.
"Soils are fragile, and in the case of roads, very often they have used fill material, and it could be fragile," Minnis said. "There's a whole world underneath the road, and nobody could really tell you unless you dug up that road and did a post mortem why a sink hole formed."
Geologically speaking, the North State Road hole is "sinkage" rather than a "sink hole," Zegarelli said, because water had not gutted out a hole, but rather eroded around an already established hole.
Another hole that formed during Hurricane Irene on River Road was a real sink hole where the water created "a quicksand type of situation," Zegarelli said. The hole measured six feet wide and five feet deep, and was much easier to fix because there are no pipes or control boxes there.
Village officials are currently seeking help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to repair the North State Road hole.
"This falls right into the category of FEMA. When they come in to help you restore things, they want to see you fix them so it doesn't happen again," Zegarelli said.
In 1999, Hurricane Floyd caused the same part of North State Road to cave in, Zegarelli said.
http://www.thedailytarrytown.com/news/nort
Sep 4, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
5 houses collapse, cyclonic winds cause havoc in Bicholim
Sep 4, 2011BICHOLIM: Heavy rains accompanied by cyclonic winds caused havoc in Bicholim taluka with villagers suffering losses estimated in lakhs of rupees. One person also suffered injuries in a related mishap.
Five houses collapsed, while plantations and fields were submerged under water. The Bicholim and Sanquelim river has also crossed the danger mark as all four gates of Anjunem dam were opened to avoid further danger. The water level in the Bicholim tributary also rose up to road level.
The main road at Mencurem, Dhumasem and Sal was also submerged under water, causing inconvenience to traffic for nearly four hours. Bicholim fire station personnel were kept on their toes in rescue operations. All the four lift irrigation water pumps at Sanquelim river were pressed into service to prevent the flood water from entering the market.
A man from Keri-Sattari Manohar Ladu Majik, 30, suffered serious injuries while he was on his way to office at Mayem. Majik was riding his scooter, when a wall belonging to a roadside house collapsed and fell on him.
He was rushed to the primary health centre, Bicholim, by 108 ambulance and later shifted to the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim. The house owner Babli Raut suffered a loss of ' 25,000.
In another incident, Uttam Gaonkar from Paltadwada-Kudchirem suffered a loss of ' 50,000 after the wall of a neighbouring house collapsed onto his own. The neighbour also suffered a loss of ' 1 lakh.
The protection wall of Dempo building, behind the Bicholim police station, also collapsed as a huge tree fell on it.
Bicholim MLA Rajesh Patnekar, deputy collector Narayan Gad, Mayem MLA Anant Shet, Pale MLA Pratap Gawas and others visited the flood affected areas and took stock of the situation.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/5-houses-collapse-cyclo...
Sep 5, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Rain causes building collapse in Whitpain; Montco roads flood (With Video)
Published: Thursday, September 08, 2011
Heavy rains from Wednesday night into Thursday morning caused a building collapse and several street closures in the area — and that’s not it for the rain
“Unfortunately the rain continues. It’s probably just going to keep raining through the end of the day at varying intensities,” said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Eric Wilhelm.
“Some of the time it will be light and some of the time it’ll be as heavy as it has been, so on top of what’s already fallen across the area we can expect additional rainfall today of perhaps half an inch to an inch,” he said.
That’s on top of the one to three inches most of the area saw late Wednesday night into Thursday morning.
Wilhelm said Thursday morning that even though the rain will let up eventually, we won’t start to dry out until early next week.
“The river and stream flooding will continue spilling out of their banks for some time, and it’ll be a slow, kind of painful improvement (Friday) and right through the weekend,” he said.
“It’s not going to rain the whole day any of those days, but there can be another thunderstorm or two at any point Friday through Sunday,” Wilhelm said.
The remnants of this rainstorm, what’s left of what was once called Tropical Storm Lee, will move out of the area by the start of next week, “and as we get into Monday and Tuesday we’ll finally get this system out of our hair and have a chance to dry out,” he said.
http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/09/08/news/doc4e6901ecdfe76...
Sep 9, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Milton Ave. closed after bridge, road collapse in Lloyd
HIGHLAND — Milton Avenue has been closed after the road and bridge leading into the hamlet collapsed this morning, according to the Lloyd Highway Department.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/article/20110907/NEWS01/11090700...|newswell|text|PoughkeepsieJournal.com|s
Sep 9, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Route 29 flooding in Trenton, partial road collapse in Ewing force closures, evacuations
Published: Thursday, September 08, 2011,
Sep 9, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Retaining wall collapses, damages vehicles in Ellicott City
Flash Flooding in Maryland the culprit
Sewage overflow reported in Elkridge
Six cars were damaged early Thursday morning when heavy rains caused a retaining wall on Mulligans Hill Lane, in historic Ellicott City, to collapse. No injuries were reported.
Six cars that had been parked in front of a retaining wall in historic Ellicott City now sit parked underneath of it.
A portion of the retaining wall fell Thursday, Sept. 8, leaving a large pile of rubble on Mul
Sep 9, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
continued as the post was cut off
A portion of the retaining wall fell Thursday, Sept. 8, leaving a large pile of rubble on Mulligans Hill Lane near a tattoo shop and the hilly intersection with Saint Paul Street.
Two of those six cars belonged to Elyssa Broumas and her father, Michael. Earlier on Wednesday, Sept. 7, their cars had been parked downhill on Maryland Avenue near the B&O Railroad Museum — much closer to a river that was swelling during Wednesday's heavy rain.
"We moved up here because we thought it was going to flood," Elyssa, an 18-year-old who lives on nearby Tiber Alley, said Thursday morning. "Lo and behold, we got an avalanche."
http://www.baltimoresun.com/explore/howard/news/ph-ho-cf-flooding-t...
Sep 9, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Oil tanks collapse at Duke Heating
Five large tanks at the Duke Heating Oil property collapsed overnight, apparently from floodwaters washing out their foundation.
OVERLOOK - Seven large oil storage tanks at the Duke Heating Oil property collapsed overnight, apparently from floodwaters washing out their foundation.
The smell of heating oil is prevalent in the area, but it is not known how much oil may have been in the tanks. The company had filed for bankruptcy earlier this year and is not believed to have been operating.
Josh Lenker, 35, who lives a few hundred yards away at 293 Overlook Boulevard, said he heard “something like metal screeching or scraping” about 3 a.m. Thursday, but it didn’t last long. In the morning, he put his 4-year-old son Owen on his shoulders and walked down the hill toward the property to survey the conditions of the flooding.
“I was mainly looking at the water; all of a sudden, that’s when I realized I smelled oil and I looked over and all the tanks were on their side,” he said.
The bottom of the tanks are in water from nearby Shamokin Creek and a feeder stream that have overflowed from four days of heavy rains that have produced widespread flooding in Northumberland County.
Lenker said the smell is “pretty strong” near the Duke property. At times, he can smell the oil at his home, too.
He said there was no obvious accumulation of oil that he could see at the Duke property.
Duke Heating is located just a short distance off Route 61 a few miles north of Shamokin. It sits behind a used car lot that fronts the highway. Lenker can see Route 61 and Duke Oil from his house.
The feeder creek has been across Overlook Boulevard Road, which intersects with Route 61 near the oil company lot, since Wednesday, Lenker said. He and his neighbors cannot get to their homes from the highway.
http://republicanherald.com/oil-tanks-collapse-at-duke-heating-1.11...
Sep 9, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
ROTTERDAM JUNCTION — Another section of the road leading to the Route 103 bridge has eroded away into the rushing water of the Mohawk River.
State Department of Transportation spokeswoman Carol Breen said the gap between the road and the bridge structure is now about 50 feet long. She said the flood water washed away more of the soil embankment, causing the sinkhole beneath Route 103 to increase.
Breen said a team of engineers are heading to the scene to do an initial assessment of the damage. But neither the bridge nor the adjacent Lock 9 appear in any danger of collapse.
http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2011/sep/09/0909_section/
Sep 9, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
LIBERTY — Residents of a hillside neighborhood in Liberty Township in Warren County are being kept away from their homes after a mudslide suddenly took out one home and compromised another Thursday evening, the township mayor said this morning.
Although State Police reported a third home on Lewis Lane had sunk into its foundation, Mayor John Inscho, who was at the scene overnight and this morning, said it was “not compromised in any way, shape or form.”
There have been no reported injuries. The collapses on Lewis Lane were triggered by a mudslide on the steep hill that took out a portion of Lewis Lane near Lakeside Drive West, police said.
“It was fast and furious,” Inscho said from the scene shortly after 9 a.m. “It all happened within a matter of minutes.”
Inscho said local and state officials were assessing the damage and drawing up a plan to clear the roads of the mud and debris.
At least two dozen neighborhood residents from nearby homes, all of them on a steep hill and also threatened with collapse, were evacuated last night, the mayor said.
He was hopeful residents might be allowed back into their homes this afternoon to at least help secure their contents.
Although people were inside the two homes, none were injured, the mayor and police said.
Weeks of heavy rains and flash floods in the neighborhood Wednesday night overfilled streams coursing through the Lewis Lane hill. That led to a collapse of portions of the road and compromised the homes’ foundations, police said.
The first home washed off its foundation shortly before 6:10 p.m. and the rear of a neighboring home then gave way, the mayor and police said.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/residents_of_warren_county...
Sep 10, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
http://photos.nj.com/4504/gallery/mudslide_in_liberty_township_nj/i...
Mudslide in Warren County
Sep 10, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Roof collapses on to 15 cars in County Durham
Sep 12 2011
A roof has collapsed on 15 cars due to the high winds buffeting the North East.
A row of five almost-finished industrial units in Langley Moor, County Durham, came down as if they had been subject to a controlled explosion, the operations manager at Bako Northern next door said.
The roof blew off on to Bako’s car park, crushing employees’ vehicles, but no-one was hurt.
The Redheugh Bridge in Newcastle is also currently closed to HGVs, caravans and motorbikes due to the winds, and signs are being put in place warning drivers.
Group operations manager Sean Kelly said: "It was extremely lucky for us, all our drivers were out, there were no contractors or visitors.
"There was nobody hit by a flying brick, though debris was strewn across the yard."
The dramatic collapse happened at around 9.40am when the winds were gusting strongly across the industrial estate.
Mr Kelly, in charge of health and safety at the bakery ingredients distributor where 76 people are employed, was immediately called by the shocked transport manager who can be seen on the CCTV footage holding his head in disbelief.
http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/breaking-news/2011/09/12/roof-colla...
Sep 12, 2011
Howard
San Diego Border-Crossing Ceiling Collapses
Sep 15, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Roof Collapses at Lochearn Salvo Auto Parts
No customers were in the store when the roof partially collapsed Wednesday at Salvo Auto Parts on Liberty Road.
Part of the Lochearn Salvo Auto Parts roof collapsed at 12:30 p.m. Wednesday.
No customers were inside during the collapse, and no employees were injured, according to a news release from the Baltimore County Office of Emergency Management.
The collapse occurred at 7003 Liberty Rd.
Baltimore County officials are inspecting the building, the release stated.
http://pikesville.patch.com/articles/roof-collapses-at-lochearn-sal...
Sep 15, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/shoppers-flee-building-col...
Sep 15, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Hyderabad: Several people were feared trapped under a five-storied building that caved-in at Lakshminarayana Nagar in the coastal town of Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh on Friday evening, police said.
"Two floors of the building caved-in and several people are believed to have been trapped under the debris. Three children and one woman have been rescued so far," East Godavari district Superintendent of Police Thrivikram Varma said.
A full scale rescue and search operation was underway.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy directed the East Godavari Collector M Ravichandra to call in NDRF personnel from Vijayawada and Naval Team from Visakhapatnam to assist in the rescue operation.
http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-TOP-people-feared-trapped-as-b...
Sep 17, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Two killed, 25 injured as strong quake jolts Sikkim
GANGTOK: A powerful earthquake with a 6.8 magnitude rocked Sikkim and other parts in the northeast today leaving at least two dead and over 30 injured besides causing extensive damage to several buildings.
The epicentre of the quake - the biggest in two decades - was located at Mangan and Sakyong areas, over 50 km from Gangtok on Sikkim-Nepal border.
Tremors were felt in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, parts of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chandigarh and Delhi.
One of the two persons was killed at Singtham in East Sikkim district and another died just outside Singtham, Sikkim chief secretary Karma Gyatso said.
Several buildings developed major cracks in the state as personnel of the disaster management were deployed, Gyatso said.
Two buildings of the Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) collapsed in Pegong area though there was no immediate report of any casualty, a senior official said.
Three after shocks of 5.7, 5.3 and 4.6 magnitude on the Richter Scale were felt in the region within 30 minutes of the first quake.
"Tremors were felt between 30 seconds to one minute in some parts of Sikkim, including Gangtok," Shailesh Nayak, secretary in the ministry of earth sciences, said in Delhi.
Gyatso described it as "a massive earthquake. We have alerted the armed forced and the paramilitary personnel."
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to Sikkim chief minister Pawan Kumar Chamling and offered help in all possible ways, including availability of defence forces.
The Prime Minister directed cabinet secretary to call an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority, PMO sources said.
5 IAF planes pressed into action for relief operations. Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force - five each from Delhi and Kolkata - are being sent to assist in the relief and rescue operations, R K Srivastava, joint secretary, disaster management, in the home ministry, said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Quake-jolts-Sikkim-two-kil...
Sep 19, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
20 feared trapped as building collapses in west Kenya
At least 20 people were last night trapped under rubble after a three storey hotel under construction collapsed at Mwivona trading centre in Vihiga County.
The building tumbled down at about 5pm after which a rescue team comprising the police, fire fighters from Kisumu, Kenya Red Cross volunteers and residents was scrambled to reach the victims.
The number of those trapped in the rubble could not be immediately determined since a number of residents were said to have been sheltering from heavy rains that were pounding the area.
“There were about ten workers in the building and other people sheltering from the rain. Three people have been pulled out alive but it’s chaotic here,” said Councillor Milton Ombuya from the scene.
“There are people who are trapped and they are making frantic calls for help.”
Mwivona trading centre where the ill-fated building is located is about three kilometres from Luanda market. Cllr Ombuya and his colleague Cllr Ezekiel Muya said that the number of those trapped could not be immediately established.
Western provincial police boss Benson Kibui confirmed to the Nation that the three storey building came down in a heavy downpour but the trigger for the accident was unknown.
“The number of those trapped is unknown but three of the workers have been pulled from the rubble with minor injuries and rushed to Maseno District Hospital,” he said.
Crowds gathered at the scene where the accident occurred to try and rescue those trapped. The structure was almost complete and the construction workers were said to have been plastering the walls when the building collapsed.
http://poleshift.ning.com/profiles/blogs/building-collapse?commentI...
Sep 19, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Unoccupied Building Collapses In South Baltimore
September 14, 2011 7:29 PM
BALTIMORE (WJZ)– Rescue crews converge in South Baltimore at a building collapse. Two unoccupied residential units in a townhome on Light and Ostend Streets collapsed from the third floor to the first floor.
The Baltimore City Fire Department’s Special Operations Team is assessing whether or not anyone was inside the vacant building at the time of the collapse. The department has secured the perimeter and has requested a City Building Inspector to come to the scene to determine if the adjacent structure was compromised.
There are no reports of injuries.
http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2011/09/14/unoccupied-building-collap...
Sep 19, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
5 injured in Athens building site collapse
ATHENS, Greece - Greek officials say an apartment block under construction in Athens partially collapsed, injuring five workers.
The fire brigade says all five were hospitalized with light injuries, and a search of the reinforced concrete rubble with sniffer dogs found no other trapped workers.
The fire brigade said in a statement the collapse occurred Monday in the upmarket northern suburb of Kifissia.
Police were looking for two construction company officials responsible for safety at the building site.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/44577926
Sep 19, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Motorists are being warned of an emergency road closure on Burnham on Sea following a collapse of a sewer earler today.
Link to story as I can't copy and paste.
http://www.burnham-on-sea.com/news/2011/berrow-road-closes-19-09-11...
Sep 20, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Man Rescued After Trench Collapse Near Ryan
Emergency crews work to free an individual trapped when a trench being built across 330th Street near Ryan collapsed on the morning of September 19, 2011. (Cliff Jette/SourceMedia Group)
Authorities said Anthony Marbach, 23, of rural Manchester got buried up to his waist in dirt. It took about two hours to free Marbach and he was listed in critical, but stable condition Monday afternoon at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids.
The workers for Gudenkauf Tiling and Excavation dug the trench in order to connect the field, or drainage tile, in one farm field to another.
John LeClere, Delaware County Sheriff, said investigators will need time to figure out what happened. “This worker (Marbach) was down in the trench when the trench collapsed. As for why it collapsed, it’s too soon to say,” LeClere said.
Volunteers firefighters in nearby Ryan and Coggon who got the call knew they needed specialized help to keep the dirt walls from falling and pull out the victim. The first responders called for a technical rescue team from the Marion Fire Department. That team brought equipment specifically designed to shore up the dirt walls in trenches.
Ray Gudenkauf, former owner of the farm, said it took two hours to free his son’s employee because it’s the kind of rescue you can’t rush. “They’ve got to release the pressure slowly. If they release the pressure too fast, that could cause him to not make it,” Gudenkauf said.
Brian Rowe, Volunteer Fire Chief in Coggon, said this was only the second trench rescue in his 30 years of firefighting experience. Rowe said in such cases, firefighters are trained to wait for specialists because rescuers can get caught in a collapse as well.
“Our first priority is the patient. But right along with that is everyone’s safety. We just have to do it by the book, the way we’re trained. Fortunately today, we had a good outcome,” Rowe said
http://www.kcrg.com/news/local/Man-Trapped-in-Trench-Near-Ryan-1301...
Sep 20, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Coventry cathedral ruins in danger of collapse
Parts of Coventry's cathedral ruins are in danger of collapse, the site's director has said.
An urgent fundraising campaign has been started to raise money to repair the weather-damaged wall adjoining Bayley Lane, currently held up by scaffolding.
The estimated cost of repair to the structurally-unsafe 14th Century building is £250,000.
Cathedral executive director, Jane Woodward, said a crack had "suddenly appeared" through part of the stone.
She added: "You could see daylight through the crack, so we took immediate steps to put scaffolding up and the road had to be closed.
"We carry out an ongoing survey of the cathedral but this damage has taken us by surprise and it's very upsetting."
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-coventry-warwickshire-14988473
Sep 20, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Road collapse leads to closure
A96 shut after drain causes hole
Published: 21/09/2011
AN EMERGENCY road closure was needed on a major route today after it unexpectedly collapsed.
BEAR Scotland shut part of the A96 Aberdeen to Huntly road from 9.30am after a stone drain collapsed underneath the road at Inveramsay railway bridge, north of Inverurie.
BEAR Scotland North-east representative Eddie Ross said the problem had been worsened by heavy rainfall, which led to a large hole gaping open under the A96 Aberdeen to Huntly road.
http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/2445751
Sep 21, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Heavy rains collapse Comer Auditorioum roof, cause Mobley Road washout
Heavy overnight rains caused a portion of the Comer Auditorium roof to collapse and a section of Mobley Road in north Columbus to collapse, the city announced this morning.
The Comer Auditorium in Bibb City houses the offices of the Parks and Recreation department, which has been relocated to the Fox and Gallops rec centers. About 15 percent of the facility’s roof collapsed, which caused extensive flooding to the first floor and basement.
Mobley Road between Fallbranch Drive and Rivermont Court washed out at a concrete culvert. The road is closed there and except for people who live in the area, the city is urging the public to avoid it if possible.
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/2011/09/21/1746455/heavy-rains-colla...
Sep 21, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Building collapse kills 1
A PU student was killed and 11 others, including five fire-fighters, injured when a three-storey building collapsed after a blast caused by leaking LPG gas. The blast occurred after gas leaked from cylinders kept in the kitchen of the Shri Lakshmi Venkateshwara Convention Hall on Magadi Road. In the explosion, a portion of the convention hall's wall collapsed. Fire fighters rushed to the spot, and were working to extinguish the fire when a second explosion took place on the ground floor of the building attached to the convention hall. The ground floor housed a chemical factory. Following the second explosion, the building collapsed and fire fighters and civilians were trapped under the debris. Three other adjacent houses were also damaged.
The deceased has been identified as Kavitha, 17, a PU student. The injured have been identified as Chinmayee, 4, Sharada, Pallavi, Beerappa, Ramanjanappa and Kantharaju. The injured fire fighters have been identified as fire station officer Raghavendra, fireman Govindaraju (both from Peenya fire station) firemen Nagesh, Anandaiah and Rangaswamy of Rajajinagar fire station. They have admitted to various hospitals. The Kamakshipalya police have booked case against the convention hall owner. A case against the owner of the chemical factory will also be booked, said the police. Forensic experts are investigating the cause of the blast and the number of cylinders that exploded in the incident.
http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/cities/bengaluru/building-c...
Sep 21, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
What?! Now the scaffolding collapse on September 20, 2011, is reported as a building collapse.
See how the cover up works? People searching "building collapse" may not find this one as it was called a "scaffolding, facade" collapse. Who would ever think to search for "facade" collapse? Not even a knowledgeable ning member would do that.
Harlem Building Collapses Onto City Bus At 125th Street
Part of a two-story building in Harlem on 125th Street and 8th Avenue has collapsed onto a city bus, Gothamist reports.....
Two police officers may have been injured in the collapse.
The building was slated for demolition and it's unclear whether or not preparations had been made. [Likely disinfo.]
The FDNY said the call came in at 9:26 a.m. http://newyork.nearsay.com/nyc/washington-heights-inwood-harlem/loc...
Sep 21, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Survey Reveals Major Town Centre Road in Danger Of Collapse
Survey Reveals Major Town Centre Road in Danger Of Collapse
The conditions mean that it will need to be completely rebuilt and resurfaced in a scheme which will take 8 weeks to complete, starting on 3 October.
Given the extent of work required, St Mary's St and the Town Bridge will be closed northbound (heading towards St Paul's Square and the town centre) throughout this period. Southbound traffic will be reduced to one lane.
Councillor Charles Royden, Portfolio Holder for the Environment and Transport, said: "When the former County Council last repaired the road they did not tackle existing drainage problems and simply improved the road surface. As a result the ongoing drainage problems have weakened the structure of the road causing severe surface problems and leaving an unacceptable risk that the road will actually collapse.
"This is a safety issue requiring urgent work now to avoid the possibility of a more serious carriageway failure in the future. Because this is one of our major town centre roads leading to Bedford's historic town bridge we have to get these repairs done and we will do them properly.
"Nobody wants to have to cause this disruption but these works are vital, requiring major reconstruction and the installation of new drains.
"When we are carrying out road repairs we always try to minimise disruption to users by working outside of peak hours, such as overnight. This is not possible with this scheme as the amount of work required means it must be carried out during the day. Similarly, the depth of excavations required to rebuild the road means we cannot open the road outside of the working hours.
"I urge drivers to avoid the area if at all possible. If anyone has to drive into the town centre they should follow the signed diversion routes which we are putting in place to reduce disruption.
"We are sorry for the inconvience this will cause but I would like to reassure local residents this work is absolutely vital and will prevent more serious work being needed in the near future and provide a better long term surface."
The working hours at the site will be 7am - 7pm Monday to Friday. However, the traffic restrictions will remain in place 24 hours a day as the reconstruction of the road will prevent vehicles from using the road outside of these hours.
In order to ensure the new road will last as long as possible, a new drainage system will also be installed on the eastern side of the carriageway in addition to a new footpath. Further minor works are scheduled for the western pathway but these will take place after the Christmas period.
Full diversion routes will be signposted around the town centre and on major routes around the borough. Drivers who need to travel into the to
Sep 22, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
One dead, one injured after Big Island zip line fails
HILO, BIG ISLAND- One man was killed and another was critically injured after a zip line located north of Hilo Town failed without warning at about 9:30 Wednesday morning.
Hawaii County Police Capt. Randall Madeiros said a 30 foot wooden tower designed to hold the zip line in place suddenly collapsed.
The man who was killed was half way across the zip line, which spans 2,300 feet above Honolii Stream, when he fell approximately 200 feet. He was identified as a 36-year-old resident of Maui.
The man who was injured was standing on the wooden tower and was about to go onto the zip line when it failed. He was identified as a 35-year-old resident of Ohio and remains in critical condition at the Hilo Medical Center. Madeiros said he suffered fractures and internal injuries.
Both victims work for Experiential Resources Incorporated, or ERi, a company based in Lahaina, Maui that specializes in the construction of zip lines and other adventure courses. The president of the company released a statement late Wednesday.
“The ERi family extends our heartfelt sympathy and aloha to the family and friends of our employees,” said John White, who added that no other ERi employees were injured in the incident.
The zip line that failed is located four miles mauka of Hawaii Belt Road in the Paukaa area. It was not yet open to the public.
“This particular zip line had been in operation for a week when the operator had asked for the construction company to tighten the line to make it faster,” Madeiros said in a telephone interview with Khon2.
The company that owns the zip line and seven others, Lava Hotline, disputed the police department’s claim that the line in question had been deemed to slow.
“I don't where that came from,” said Lava Hotline owner Gary Marrow. “I know that the workers were working on part of the course that wasn't open and that’s all I know. It had nothing to do with us, so it was really just the construction guys.”
While Lava Hotline owns the actual zip line course, Marrow’s other company, KapohoKine Adventures, handles bookings and transportation to and from the site. The zip lines that remain were immediately closed to the public.
“The course is being shut down for the next two weeks while we do an inspection and make sure that everything is totally safe,” said Marrow. “It’s been a really difficult day.”
Big Island Mayor Billy Kenoi promised a thorough investigation of the incident. Zip lines are a growing industry in Hawaii that attracts both local and tourists alike.
“I want to express our concern and condolences to the families of both men involved in this tragedy,” Kenoi said in a written statement.
“We will conduct a careful, thorough review to determine all of the facts in this case. We need to know exactly what happened and why, and we need to know exactly what went wrong. When we have completed that review and the facts are known, we will release our findings publicly.”
Medeiros said the investigation would logically focus on what caused the wooden tower to collapse. He said the police department would be consulting an expert or experts with knowledge of sudden structural failures.
http://www.khon2.com/mostpopular/story/One-dead-one-injured-after-B...
Sep 22, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Heavy rain washes away part of Mobley Road
Torrential rains Tuesday night caused a portion of the Comer Auditorium roof to collapse and a section of Mobley Road in north Columbus to wash out.
The old auditorium in Bibb City houses the offices of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department, which have been relocated to the Fox and Gallops rec centers.
About 15 percent of the facility’s roof collapsed, which caused extensive flooding to the first floor and basement, the city reported.
Joe Paull jpaull@ledger-enquirer.com The Comer Recreation Center in Bibb City suffered significant damage to the roof as a result of the rain Tuesday night.
Joe Paull/jpaull@ledger-enquirer.com A section of Mobley Road that passes over a creek was washed out as a result of Tuesday night’s rain.
Interim Public Services Director Ron Smith said he has seen the Comer damage from the ground level and called it “extensive.” He said the building, which is about 70 years old, is insured and adjusters have been on the site, but it’s too early to estimate the cost of repairs, how long the facility will be closed, or even if it’s worth repairing.
Smith said the city was planning to move the parks and rec offices to the new Citizens Service Center when it opens.
A short section of the west-bound lane of Mobley Road between Fallbranch Drive and Rivermont Court washed out where a concrete culvert runs beneath the street.
For the time being, the road is closed to through traffic and except for people wh
Sep 22, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Manchester Man Injured In Trench Collapse
09/20/2011
A Manchester man was taken to the hospital after a trench collapsed around him Monday morning in Delaware County.
It happened just before 9 a.m., along 330th Street, south of Ryan. Authorities say Gudenkauf Tiling & Excavating of Manchester was digging a trench across 330th Street, just east of Highway 13, when it collapsed on the man.
The Delaware County Sheriff’s department identified the victim as 23 year-old Tony Marbach of Manchester, an employee of Gudenkauf Tiling & Excavating. Delaware County Sheriff John LeClere said the excavating crew was digging the trench to connect tile lines on both sides of the road. The collapse happened at the edge of the road.
Marbach was rescued shortly before 11 a.m. and flown to St Lukes hospital in Cedar Rapids.
http://www.kmch.com/wire/news/00431_092011_tony_051641.php
Sep 22, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Balcony collapse injures four schoolkids
Sep 23, 2011, 03.42AM ISTThe students got hurt when they were about to enter the premise. State urban development minister Firhad Hakim rushed to the spot and arranged for hospitalization of the injured student. Later, the mayor visited Sovan Chatterjee and Debasis Kar, KMC's director-general (building), reached the spot and said. Former CPM councillor Faiyaz Khan helped local youths to rescue a couple of students who were trapped under the debris.
Chatterjee later that the building was listed as insecure by the KMC building department. A local resident alleged that parts of the second floor were constructed illegally. "We need to take a decision on the fate of such buildings scattered all over the city," mayor said.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/kolkata/Balcony-collapse-in....
Sep 23, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Missing Invermere senior found after apparent road collapse
The body of an 85-year-old Invermere man who had been reported missing Tuesday was found near a dirt road in the Jumbo Creek area a day later, a Columbia Valley RCMP spokesman told The Province.
Bogomir Rutar had driven to the backwoods area west of Invermere to search for firewood and to hunt, if the opportunity presented itself, said Staff-Sgt. Marko Shehovac.
But the old logging road he was driving on was unstable.
Shehovac said Rutar most likely drove up to the edge of the old road, which appears to have given way, sending him and his vehicle tumbling 200 metres down a cliff.
Searchers in an RCMP helicopter spotted his vehicle from the air.
Rutar’s body was found outside the vehicle, said Shehovac.
“Although 85 years of age, the male was described to be in good physical condition and often made similar excursions in the backcountry,” he added
Read more: http://www.theprovince.com/Missing+Invermere+senior+found+after+app...
Sep 23, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Century-Old Building Near Busch Stadium “Structurally Unsound”
9/20/11-The historic Cupples 7 building at 11th and Spruce, built in 1907 and empty for years, has become “structurally unsound” and protective barriers are being set up around it
ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - City officials say the historic building on 11th Street between Spruce and Poplar downtown has become “structurally unsound”, and they’re taking steps to limit foot and automobile traffic near the seven-story structure.
Starting Tuesday, crews began putting up “Jersey barriers” and six-foot high chain-link fencing around the building, located two blocks west of Busch Stadium.
Access to the building will be restricted “to make sure no one gets hurt”, according to a statement from City Hall.
9/20/11-Workers begin putting up Jersey barriers and high fencing around the Cupples 7 building downtown Tuesday. (KMOX/Brett Blume)
“The roof of the building is missing,” according to Rodney Crim, executive director of the St. Louis Development Corporation. “And so there have been years of deterioration that’s resulted from being open to the elements. So the building is very unstable.”
So unstable, in fact, that city engineers have shut down 11th Street from Spruce to Poplar, along with a half-block of Spruce east of 11th Street.
Crim was unable to estimate how long the restrictions will be in place, but noted they will impact traffic and parking for Cardinal games and soon, for Blues games at Scottrade Center a couple of blocks away.
CIty building inspectors have repeatedly cited the building’s owner, Ballpark Lofts III LLC, due to its deteriorating condition.
But company reps say they simply don’t have enough
Sep 23, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Roof Collapses on Old Church in Wheeling
Posted Thursday, September 22, 2011 ; 05:44 PM
Updated Thursday, September 22, 2011; 09:47 PM
According to the Wheeling fire officials it happened around 4 p.m. near 20th and Market Streets.
WHEELING -- Officials say a 20-feet by 30-feet portion of the roof over the sanctuary collapsed into the structure.
Officials say no one was injured and the building was locked up and empty at the time of the collapse.
Officials also say the collapse has put stress on the outside walls of the structure.
The structure and the road in front of it are currently blocked off. Market Street between 20th street and 21st street will be closed to traffic until a structural engineer can come in and assess the damage, authorities say.
According to officials, the building was no longer used as a church, but as a meeting place for different organizations.
http://www.wtrf.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=108477
Sep 23, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Overpass collapse could delay Thickwood interchange
Posted 3 hours ago
Morgan Modjeski
Today staff
A collapse at the Thickwood overpass could cause a delay in the opening of the Thickwood interchange, but Alberta Transportation said it will not cause a delay in the overall project.
Denis Courchesne, an employee of Lafarge who was on site at the time of the collapse, said it happened very quickly.
"I pulled up with my ready-mix concrete truck and I was pouring the concrete and I was about half done when suddenly, everything just caved in," he said.
"It caved in very suddenly and all of the concrete collapsed, so quickly that it bent the re-bar, in some areas by six feet.
"The concrete just sunk," said Courchesne.
According to Martin Dupuis, assistant director of communications for Alberta Transportation, the collapse is currently being investigated by the contractor, but little details are available.
"A concrete pour was being done on a portion of the bridge, the east portion, and there were beams that were supporting this and they shifted and that's what's caused the failure," said Dupuis.
Alberta Transportation said that an investigation is underway and that steps are being taken to ensure this does not happen again.
"The contractor is investigating this to see exactly what happened and we'll also come up with a plan to help any recurrence," he said.
The collapsed part of the bridge will be replaced, but costs affiliated with the replacement are not yet available. However, Dupuis noted it would be the responsibility of the contractor.
At the moment, weather conditions are being listed as the preliminary cause for the shifting beams and no one was hurt.
http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=3310285
Sep 23, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
LAHORE: Four labourers died while twenty-one others were seriously injured when they were demolishing an illegally-built plaza in Johar Town police limits on Friday.
Two of the dead were identified as Bashir Hussain and Muhammad Hussain while two others were still unidentified. The injured labourers were identified as Abdul Rahman, Munir, Fakhar, Sardar, Nadeem, Afzal, Azhar, Saeed, Khadim, Mohammad Yaar, Yaseen, Mohammad Hussain, Ashraf, Ahmad Yaar, Naveed, Mushtaq, Yousaf, Mohammad Naeem, Qasim, Yaamin, Mohammad Nadeem and Kashif.
According to LDA officials, LDA had brought some labourers on daily wages to demolish an illegal building of plastic pipe manufacturing factory near the Board of Revenue Housing Society Road.
They said that around 25 labourers were demolishing the building. Some went to the second floor of the building while others were working at ground floor by using machinery. As a result, the foundation of the building cracked and it caved at around 10am. Twenty-five labourers were trapped in the debris. Locals called Rescue 1122 which rushed to the spot and brought out three bodies during a rescue operation which lasted for four hours. Twenty-two injured persons were rushed to a nearby hospital. One of the injured succumbed to injuries at the hospital while the condition of three others was stated to be critical.
LDA officials said the plaza which was being demolished on Friday had been built illegally on a plot and now the building was in commercial use. It had served notices several times for vacation and demolition 14 days back and a final notice was sent two days ago. It collapsed because of its weak structure, resulting in the death of four persons, an LDA official said. The LDA DG said that four precious lives were lost due to the negligence of in-charge demolition as precautionary measures were not taken.
DCO Ahad Cheema also arrived at the place to inspect rescue work. LDA Director General Abdul Jabbar Shaheen suspended four LDA officers including Malik Ahmad Nawaz, Director Buildings, Abdur Razaq Director EME, Azhar Ali Deputy Director Town Planning and Afraz Akhter Assistant Director Town Planning.
Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has announced Rs 500,000 compensation for families of each person who lost their lives in the incident. The severely wounded persons will be paid Rs 100,000 each whereas persons with minor injuries Rs 50,000 each. DG distributed the cheques of these amounts among the injured who were under treatment at Jinnah Hospital on Friday evening. The DG also constituted a fact finding inquiry committee and directed to furnish its report within 24 hours.
Headed by the Additional DG (HQ) LDA Hafiz Ihsan Ul Haq, the committee comprise of MD WASA Dr Javed Iqbal, Dir DG (HQ) LDA Fawad Amir and Director Admn Khalid Pervaiz. Persons held responsible will be duly prosecuted after the report of inquiry. DG LDA has set up a facilitation Centre at Jinnah Hospital for ensuring proper treatment of the injured. He has also established a blood donation camp at LDA office Johar Town.
http://www.thenews.com.pk/TodaysPrintDetail.aspx?ID=69217&Cat=2
Sep 24, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
UVA Fraternity Balcony Gives Way, Two Students Injured
Posted: Sep 24, 2011 4:15 PM EDT Updated: Sep 24, 2011 7:01 PM EDTCharlottesville building inspectors are investigating the cause of a balcony collapse at a University of Virginia fraternity house that injured two students. One of those students is in the hospital Saturday night with life-threatening injuries.
This all happened during a party overnight at the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity house Rugby Road. Charlottesville police got a call that a portion of the balcony had collapsed and students were injured.
Police responded to the fraternity house at 513 Rugby Road around 2:30 Saturday morning. They say that several people were leaning on the balcony railing when it gave way.
That's when two male students fell to the ground and sustained serious injuries. One of the victims was a UVA student.
He has since been released from the hospital. The other was a James Madison University student. Saturday night he is still at the UVA Medical Center with life threatening head injuries.
"You got the older balconies and things and I'm sure somewhere along the way the monitoring the maintenance and the structural integrity I'm sure is something that will come out in the inspectors as they look and evaluate those particular parts of the incident," said Lieutenant Ronnie Roberts with the Charlottesville Police Department.
Police say no one at the party is facing any criminal charges at this time.
However, the city's building inspector was on the scene Saturday morning taking a look at the safety of the structure. We are still awaiting his official report to see what exactly happened.
http://www.nbc29.com/story/15540933/uva-fraternity-balcony-gives-wa...
Sep 25, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
SM building construction collapses
Four people were injured when the fourth floor of the Shoe Mart (SM) car park building undergoing construction collapsed at dawn Sunday in General Santos City.
Construction activities were immediately halted at the east wing of the SM mall complex along San Miguel St here, according to General Santos City Engineer Office chief Mark Reyes.
Monolith Construction declined to issue any further statement during a press conference it organized late Sunday afternoon, saying the incident is now under investigation.
Project engineer Jeston Mangete likewise refused to comment on reports the integrity of the building may have been compromised by alleged pilferage of round bars from the construction site.
The SM mall complex is said to be biggest of its kind in Mindanao according to Hans Sy of SM Prime Holdings who recently visited the city to turn over to the local government the 440-meter two-lane concrete road it constructed to expand its front entrance road access.
Sy said they expect to open the mall in the first quarter of next year.
Reyes said their own investigators have not yet entered the collapsed construction site saying they are still waiting for SM structural and civil engineers who are expected to fly in Monday.
The area is now cordoned off and members of the local press are barred from entering the construction site.
The city engineer however said construction at the main SM building will still proceed as the cark park building is a separate structure and has a separate building permit.
Monolith Construction, a Quezon City-based construction company, could not give estimate to the losses the damaged and the delay will cause to the project.
The contractor however said the collapse portion of the building covered at least 390 square meters and it completely also damaged the third and second floor areas. The damage portion separated the southern and northern portions of the building.
There was not immediate statement from SM Prime Holdings on the matter.
SM is the fifth and the biggest shopping mall to rise in the city at a cost of P2.5 billion.
In 2009, Robinson Place opened its mall along J. Catolico St. The others are Gaisano General Santos, KCC Gensan and Fitmart.
The Henry Sy-owned SM Mall in General Santos reportedly has a floor area of more than 150,000 meters and will employ roughly 500 directly hired workers.
SM is reportedly leasing the land from the Salazar family which lease contract covers 20 years subject to renewal.
http://asiancorrespondent.com/65742/sm-building-construction-collap...
Sep 25, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
House falls due to digging next door
Two-storey house falls into large hole dug up for basement.
LAHORE: A house in Sher Shah Colony collapsed as labourers dug for a basement in the plot next door in Chuhng police jurisdiction.
SI Muhammad Afzal said the labourers had stopped digging a few hours before the collapse so no one was injured.
He said that the owner of the house had not approached the police to register a formal complaint yet, indicating that he was likely negotiating with the owner of the plot.
SI Afzal said that Muhammad Sohail, the owner of the house on Main Sher Shah Road, had warned his neighbour, Mian Shaukat, not to dig for a basement. He had told Shaukat that the it would jeopardise his house.
Afzal said that Shaukat brought back the labourers on Sunday while Sohail and his family were away. “When they had dug about six or seven feet deep, cracks started appearing in the walls,” he said. The labourers moved away from the site. Around three hours later, the building started tilting towards the empty plot and collapsed.
http://tribune.com.pk/story/260366/house-falls-due-to-digging-next-...
Sep 26, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Building collapse causes major road closure in Bradford
6:35pm Tuesday 27th September 2011
A stretch of Leeds Road, Bradford, has been closed after a building partially collapsed tonight.
Emergency services were called to the Lux Lighting Ltd building, close to the Shell filling station shortly after 6pm.
The building is undergoing renovation but no casualties have been reported.
The road is expected to stay closed until the building can be made safe with police diverting traffic.
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/9274402.Building_collaps...
Sep 27, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
New Delhi, September 27, 2011
Five persons were killed and more than 25 injured, four of them critically, on Tuesday evening when a 150-year-old four-storey building collapsed near Jama Masjid in Old Delhi. Twenty-five were still trapped at the time of going to press. The foundations of the building, in the Chandni
Mahal area, were weakened by the illegal construction going on in a nearby plot, Municipal Corporation of Delhi officials said.
The injured were rushed to LNJP hospital. Hospital authorities said 25 persons were brought in with critical injuries, of whom five were declared dead. “Condition of four is still critical,” a doctor said.
In Old Delhi, it is a common practice to divide plots into smaller sections for separate buildings. “In this case too, the plot was divided into three parts. At around 7.45pm the building collapsed and those inside were trapped,” a police officer said.
The debris fell on the road, trapping some pedestrians as well. The dead have been identified as Fatima (65), her granddaughter Tabassum (18), Shaukat Bi (65), Munni Devi (70) and Mohammed Parvez (31).
A contractor had taken over the building to construct flats. “Unauthorised construction led to the collapse. I had submitted a written complaint to the Chandni Mahal SHO,” Shoib Iqbal, local MLA, said.
Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit blamed the civic body. “We have been telling the MCD to be careful about illegal construction in the area. It is such a tragic incident,” she said.
An under-construction building collapsed 30 minutes later in the Rani Bagh area of northwest Delhi, injuring two labourers, one of them critically.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/Building-collapses-in-Delhi-5-dead-25...
Sep 28, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Grain bin collapses, spilling thousands of bushels of wheat in Wray
A grain bin full of wheat collapsed in Wray on Monday, spilling more than 2 million pounds of wheat onto town roads and dusting the nearby train tracks.
At 12:30 p.m., officers were called to the bin after employees reported that it was showing signs of collapsing, said Chief Adam Srsen.
Officers arrived and immediately closed the streets surrounding the elevator.
For about an hour after police arrived, the elevator continued to lean into the elevator next to it.
The bin was holding 44,000 bushels of wheat, weighing about 60 pounds each, said Mel Domine, managing director of CHS/M&M Cooperative, which owns the bin.
"It was popping and creaking, the old sounds of twisting, bending metal," said Officer David Bellman, who responded to the call. "Finally, it just gave way and the center just blew out of it."
Wheat spilled onto the road and onto the nearby train tracks. No one was injured.
"I was backing up, thinking maybe I should get back farther than I was," Bellman.
Crews were able to sweep the wheat off the tracks. The road remains closed as crews clean up the grain and dismantle the collapsed tower.
What caused the bin to collapse is still under investigation. Crews will examine pieces of metal that came off the collapsed bin, as well as an additional bin that was damaged during the collapse.
"Something caused that side wall to kink and cause that tipping," Domine said. "Once that weight moved from one side to the other, this was inevitable."
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_18988085
Sep 28, 2011
astrogal50
Re: Residential Building Collapse in New Dehli Kills 7
Following up on Starr's comment, below. The New York Times provided different excuses for why this building collapsed: "They said they believed construction work in two adjacent buildings may have weakened the structure that fell."
NO rain, no flooding, no storm, no apparent reason why yet another building suddenly collapsed.
If "shoddy construction" or nearby construction were the actual cause, then buildings all over the world should have been collapsing as frequently as they are now before Planet X arrived in the inner solar system. Did they? No, they did not. Buildings rarely collapsed without adequate explanation.
Sep 28, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
The break has caused a collapse of asphalt near the berm. Crews are on the scene and repairing the break.
http://www.thealmanac.net/alm/story11/09-28-2011_water-break
Sep 28, 2011
Starr DiGiacomo
Flanders flooding causes road collapse - News 12
10 hours ago – The south branch of the Raritan River caused part of River Road to ... is causing more problems as part of River Road collapsed over night. ...
http://www.news12.com/Login/home_login?regionId=1...name...
Sep 30, 2011