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
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-29131142
Pakistan mosque collapse kills at least 10 people
At least 10 people were killed and seven injured when the roof of a mosque collapsed in the Pakistani city of Lahore, officials say.
The cave-in happened in the low-income and highly congested Daroghawala area on the outskirts of the city.
BBC Urdu's Shumaila Jaffery in the city says that the roof of the main hall of the mosque collapsed when almost 25 people were offering midday prayers.
Officials told the BBC that the structure of the building was very old.
They say that its exterior had recently undergone renovation work.
Our correspondent says that up to 15 people are still believed to be trapped below the rubble.
The Express Tribune reported that rescuers had reached the scene and a major effort was now under way to save them.
"We fear that the death toll might rise. The roads there are very crowded, preventing heavy machines from entering the area to remove the debris. The people of the area are also helping the rescue effort," rescue official Jam Sajjad told the AFP news agency.
Our correspondent says last week 24 people were killed in roof collapses after torrential rains in the city.
Building safety levels are often below standard in Pakistan.
At least 17 people - including women and children - were killed in a factory collapse following a gas explosion in a residential area of the city in February 2012.
Sep 10, 2014
Tracie Crespo
http://www.ktvn.com/story/26489045/interstate-15-in-southern-nevada...
Interstate 15 in Southern Nevada Closed After Major Flooding
Posted: Sep 09, 2014 4:15 PM EDT
Updated: Sep 09, 2014 4:20 PM EDT
The route is the main artery between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City. Traffic is being diverted to smaller roads, including U.S. 93.
Seasonal monsoon moisture combined with the remnants of Tropical Storm Norbert to dump rain throughout the Southwest on Monday. Floodwaters submerged vehicles and homes in Nevada and Arizona, and are blamed for at least two deaths in southern Arizona. There was also flooding in Southern California's desert areas.
In suburban Phoenix, crews in Mesa were trying to keep floodwaters away from around 125 homes after retention basins and channels along the U.S. 60 freeway overflowed.
Sep 10, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.playnaija.com/2014/09/12/many-feared-dead-building-colla...
Many feared dead as building collapses at TB Joshua’s Synagogue church HQ
3 hours ago
15 people are reported dead and many others trapped following the collapse of a 6-storey building in the premises of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, (SCOAN), Ejigbo in Lagos. Some witnesses say it’s the building which houses foreigners seeking healing. The victims of the collapse are said to be workers of the church. Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Emergency Management Authority, Friday Adeboayo confirmed the incident adding that rescue operations are on to evacuate injured persons.
another link:
http://www.olosho360.com/2014/09/tragedy-hits-tb-joshuas-church-77-...
Tragedy Hits TB Joshua’s Church, 77 Dead in building collapse
Sep 12, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.phuketgazette.net/thailand-news/Workers-injured-Rayong-b...
Workers injured in Rayong building collapse
Phuket Gazette - September 15, 2014 | 09:54 AM
Workers injured in Rayong building collapse
PHUKET: A commercial building under construction in Rayong province partially collapsed yesterday, injuring four workers.
General Jatuwat Khingbualung, head of Klaeng district police, said a concrete balcony of the two-storey commercial building collapsed and fell on workers below at around 9pm on Saturday. The workers suffered injuries to their hip, back, leg and chest.
The have been identified as Chatree Aounkaneuy, 28, Cambodians; Ton Kwad, 30, Yha, 20, and Thee Sist, 30. The building, which was owned by Thansap Land Housing, called the "Village" and also had six shops.
Police are investigating the accident.
Sep 15, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Lebanon-News/2014/Sep-15/270718-eg...
Egypt factory collapse kills 6
CAIRO: A textile dyeing factory collapsed in Egypt, killing six people and injuring 22 in an accident blamed on poor construction, authorities said Monday.
A "design defect" caused the disaster near the capital Cairo Sunday, according to Gamal Al-Taruti, head of the Interior Ministry's public safety department.
"The building did not meet construction standards," he told AFP.
An initial investigation found that the accident was caused by the unauthorized construction of a third floor at the factory, a judicial source said on condition of anonymity.
An entrepreneur involved in the construction was detained, while arrest warrants were issued for two others as well as the owners of the building, the source said.
Such accidents are common in Egypt where many buildings are old and violations of construction laws are frequent.
Sep 15, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.wave3.com/story/26574889/roadway-collapse-closes-i-65-no...
Break in pavement closes lanes of I-65 north near Elizabethtown
Posted: Sep 19, 2014 6:48 AM EDTUpdated: Sep 19, 2014 1:40 PM EDTBreak in pavement closes lanes of I-65 north near Elizabethtown
ELIZABETHTOWN, KY (WAVE) - Kentucky State Police said two northbound lanes of Interstate 65 are closed just north of Elizabethtown while crews work to patch a hole that opened in the road.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said one lane is open after a break in pavement caused by a base failure opened in the roadway just before 6 a.m. Chris Jessie, a spokesman for the department, said that it was not a sinkhole.
Jessie advised drivers to follow signs for alternate route, taking exit 93 for the Bluegrass Parkway and rejoining the interstate at exit 105.
Milling work on the roadway surface is underway. When that is completed, Jessie said crews will be able to dig out the pavement and get a better idea of the problem.
Jessie expects the interstate to be fully reopened by early afternoon.
Sep 19, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://english.cri.cn/12394/2014/09/22/3745s845025.htm
Click to see the next pictureRescuers search for survivors at the site of a building collapse in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province on September 21, 2014. [Photo: Image China]
A building under construction has collapsed in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi province, trapping an unknown number of people.
15 have been rescued from the rubble so far while 3 of them died.
Witnesses say additional floors were being added to the building. A nearby two-story building was hit and collapsed as well.
Villagers say adding additional floors to buildings has been a common practice in the village, which raises safety concerns.
The owner of the building, Wang Yusheng, was not in the building when it collapsed.
The first floor was rented as a vegetable store. A family of four lived there.
Rescue work is continuing.
Sep 22, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
(Photo) One Killed In Partial Building Collapse In Midtown, New Yor...
This afternoon a construction worker was killed after he as hit and killed by falling concrete debris after a building partially collapsed.
The incident took place Tuesday afternoon. The building on 326 West 37th St between 8th and Ninth avenue began shaking around 2pm.
The spokeswoman of the New York City Fire Department spokeswoman Elisheva Zakheim said the construction worker was pronounced dead on the scene.
There were no reports of other injuries on the scene.
http://www.inflexwetrust.com/2014/09/23/one-killed-in-partial-build...
Sep 24, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/st-augustine/2014/09...
Historic St. Augustine building demolished after partially collapsing
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The historic Fornells building in downtown St. Augustine was demolished Thursday night, hours after the two-story building partially collapsed.
As crews tore down the more than 200-year-old structure on 62 Hypolita Street, some of the spectators felt their memories get crushed.
"It's really awful," said Diana Hamann who lived in the home in the 1960s. "It's very sad and my brother and I are very broken up about it because for us it's very personal, this is our childhood home."
Hamann remembers witnessing history in that home during the civil rights movement.
Diana Hamann remembers living at the Fornells House in the 1960s. Her father also owned the gun shop museum next door.(Photo: Photo provided by Diana Hamann)
"We saw the Martin Luther King silent March with the candles comes towards us across this parking lot," said Hamann.
The structure is one of 31 of the oldest buildings in St. Augustine. Owner Len Weeks says it was built during the colonial period using coquina stone and a foundation of oyster shells.
"It's a terrible loss to us and I was trying while I had the opportunity with all the concrete around the building to put a collar around the foundation and when we did one of the sides just sheared off," said Weeks.
The site soon became the center of attention for neighboring business owners and customers.
"When I opened up [the store] around 11 a.m. it was just a big crack along the back wall and then within a couple hours you saw it literally collapse into the building," said Kristen Billyer who owns '29 Olives' inside the building next to Fornells.
Historic building on Hypolita street in Downtown St. Augustine partially collapsed Thursday morning.(Photo: First Coast News)
The collapse opened up a massive hole in the rear of the building, which city officials said was built in 1807, and left the structure sagging in a lopsided manner.
No one was in the building when walls collapsed on the first floor, but owners of 'Bath Junkie,' a fragrance store, have operated their shop inside the building for 12 years.
"We're going to go in there personally pick through anything that we can salvage. There's a lot of like I said personal affects, inventory in there that we're hoping to recover," said Robert Geiger, who co-owns the store with his wife.
Weeks says he hopes to rebuild with as much of the old materials he can salvage.
City Manager John Regan says the building could not be saved. Regan says it was not stable and posed a threat to people and other surrounding buildings.
The demolition lasted about an hour and a half.
Sep 26, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.wbaltv.com/news/1-person-trapped-in-baltimore-building-c...
1 person trapped in Baltimore building collapse
Building collapses on South Paca Street in downtown Baltimore
BALTIMORE —A person is trapped after a building collapsed in downtown Baltimore Monday afternoon, city fire officials said
City fire and rescue crews were called shortly after 12:30 p.m. to a building collapse in the 500 block of South Paca Street.
Authorities have blocked off South Paca Street at Washington Boulevard.
Sep 29, 2014
Mark
Increase in building collapses in India leave authorities without an answer for the cause
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/complete-collapse-of-bu...
India has witnessed a significant number of building collapses in the past 18 months. There have been seven major building collapses in three Indian cities (Mumbai, Chennai, Vadodara) alone, resulting in a total of 234 deaths, along with innumerable injuries and economic losses.
The most recent building collapse at Moulivakkam, Chennai on June 28 of this year killed 61 people, while the building collapse last year at Mumbra (near Mumbai) killed 74 people.
Two of the collapses (in Vadodara and Mazgaon, Mumbai) relate to buildings built or used by the government or its employees. These statistics do not account for the major and minor fatal building collapses in other cities and small towns which go largely unreported in the media.
None of the collapses discussed above has occurred in the event of a disaster, such as an earthquake or fire or cyclone. We restrict ourselves to the discussion of collapses which are not triggered by an external unusual event. Collapses may occur during construction or during the service life of a building. The collapses at Chennai and Mumbra occurred during construction. The other five collapses happened to buildings in use, and the age of these buildings was less than thirty years, within the expected useful life of at least 50 years.
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A study of building failures in the US covering 11 years between 1989 to 2000 recorded 225 failures (including both partial and total collapses) with a total loss of lives of 97 persons.
This implies about 9 lives lost per year on average in the US, as compared to our record of 234 deaths in 18 months from just 7 select collapses.
Oct 7, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://newtelegraphonline.com/three-storey-building-collapses-in-eb...
Three storey building collapses in Ebonyi
Oct 08, 2014Charles OnyekwereMetro0
Residents of Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital have called for stringent measures by relevant authorities to curb incessant cases of building collapse in the state.
They made the call in response to the collapse of a three storey building under construction at Udude Street in Ntezi-Aba area of Abakaliki.
When the New Telegraph Correspondent visited the scene, he learnt that one person was injured while occupants of another building partly damaged by the collapsed building escaped death.
The three storey building under construction collapsed on Tuesday night
Oct 8, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.wlky.com/news/multiple-people-injured-in-partial-buildin...
3 people injured in partial building collapse in Middletown
LOUISVILLE, Ky. —Three people were hurt when a building under construction collapsed in Middletown around 4 p.m. Thursday at Shelbyville Road and Madison Avenue
The injured workers were framing a small shopping center, which will be called Madison Station.
Co-workers and bystanders had gotten them out from under any debris by the time emergency crews arrived.
"About a third of the truss roof system that was being installed had fallen. There were three workers we found that were injured. All appear to have non-life threatening injuries. All three were transported to the hospital for treatment," said Middletown Fire Assistant Chief Andy Longstreet.
The project is on the site of Middletown's former inter-urban train station.
OSHA is investigating the cause of the collapse.
and another:
http://tlarremore.wordpress.com/2014/10/17/technological-hazard-ano...
Technological Hazard – Another Fatal Structural Collapse: Uttar Pradesh, India
Technological Hazard – Structural Collapse
Asia – India | State of Uttar Pradesh, Noida, RCJ Public School
Location: 28°32’16.8″N 77°23’31.2″E
Fatalities: 1
Injured: 27
Missing: 0
Evacuees: 1
Damage Level: Unknown
A five-year-old child was killed and 25 others, all aged between 5 and 10 years, were injured after a wall of an under-construction building collapsed in Noida Sector 49 on Thursday. According to the police, the incident took place around 11.30am on Thursday morning at RCJ Public School, when around 40 students were attending a class adjacent to the building in question. Two teachers were also injured in the incident, which left six students critically injured. “The students were in class when the wall of an under-construction building suddenly collapsed on them. After the incident, all injured students and teachers were rushed to a hospital nearby, where one of them, Sanjay, was declared dead on admission,” a senior police officer said. The officer added that six students have been referred to Delhi’s Lok Nayak hospital owing to the severity of their condition. The police have detained Babu Pradhan, the owner of the under-construction building, and are investigating the case. After the incident, Gautam Budh Nagar DM Chander Kant visited the spot and ordered an inquiry into the matter. “We are also investigating if the school was also at fault. The Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) has also been asked to conduct an independent probe into the incident, the police officer said.
Source: RSOE EDIS
and another:
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2014/10/17/construction-worker-hurt-whe...
Two Construction Workers Trapped When Ceiling Collapses In Mineola
MINEOLA, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) — Two construction workers were injured Friday after part of a ceiling collapsed on Long Island.
The collapse happened inside the old Social Services building, which is now being turned into a family court in Mineola,
“There was an environmental cleaning company from Queens prepping this building for asbestos removal,” said Nassau County Police Inspector Kenneth Lack. “During that preparation, some portion of the ceiling collapsed. There were 19 people in the building at the time from the contractor. Two of them were trapped inside the debris. They were removed by police department personnel for non life-threatening injuries. The other 17 people are accounted for and at this time they are being decontaminated for asbestos and will be transported to a local hospital.”
The trapped workers were taken to the hospital for observation and treatment. They are now alert and conscious, McLogan reported.
The cause of the collapse is under investigation.
Nassau County Police Det. Vincent Garcia said engineers will check the structural integrity of the three-story building at 101 County Road Drive, which has been vacant for years, 1010 WINS’ Al Jones reported.
Oct 17, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.fox8live.com/story/26854640/royal-remains-blocked-after-...
Crews attempt to stabilize crumbling building in French Quarter
Updated: Oct 22, 2014 12:39 PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS, LA (WVUE) -
Bricks continue to block Royal Street Wednesday morning following a partial building collapse in the heart of the French Quarter.
Royal remains blocked between Dumaine and St. Ann following the collapse around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of Royal Street. The area is closed to vehicles and pedestrians until further notice.
Firefighters and code enforcement officers spent Wednesday morning assessing the building from the outside and above. The New Orleans Fire Department states that the collapse triggered a gas and water leak. Utility crews were quickly on scene Tuesday to shut off both.
Neighbors say that the building appeared neglected.
“I've been in the building many times. Just imagine stepping into a time capsule,” explains Craig Tracy, a French Quarter business owner. “This looked like something that hadn't been touched since the 40's. The plumbing was at least that old. Everything was just neglected.”
“Here in the French Quarter, we try and take care of things. We want this to be the best place that it can be but when owners of properties neglect things, this is what happens and it gets scary,” adds Tracy.
The city of New Orleans is investigating what caused part of this old building to collapse. Firefighters state they are amazed no one was hurt when bricks and air conditioning units came tumbling down. No one was inside the building at the time of the partial collapse.
Right now, the goal is to stabilize the building enough so people can return to the neighboring buildings. Firefighters say there's a chance the whole crumbling structure may have to be torn down.
Oct 22, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://hangzhouweekly.com/society/newly-repaired-stretch-of-road-co...
Newly repaired stretch of road collapses again
A road in Hangzhou, the provincial capital, collapsed for a second time on Saturday soon after it had been repaired following the earlier incident, Today Morning Express reported on Monday. The affected area measured 500 square meters, and the collapse was caused by water damage to a basement wall beneath the road. No one was injured, and repair work has begun again. The road collapsed for the first time in May.
Oct 22, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.omaha.com/news/iowa/shoulder-collapse-closes-lane-on-i--...
Shoulder collapse closes lane on I-80 in Council Bluffs
POSTED: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2014 4:00 PM
Erosion alongside westbound Interstate 80 in Council Bluffs caused a 20-foot panel of the shoulder to partially collapse sometime Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.
The collapse took place between the exit for Mall of the Bluffs and the east interchange with Interstate 29.
Iowa transportation workers shut down a lane to make the repair about 9 a.m. Thursday. Traffic in both westbound lanes was open and flowing again at 4:30 p.m.
Workers removed the sagging concrete panel, filled in the hole with dirt and poured hot asphalt to form a new section of shoulder, said Troy Jerman, the Iowa Department of Transportation’s district engineer for southwest Iowa.
Jerman said heavy rains overnight likely caused the erosion and triggered the collapse. Council Bluffs received roughly ¾ to 1 inch of rain Wednesday night and Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
With heavier rains than normal this year, erosion has been a bigger problem than usual along western Iowa’s highways, he said. There has been a quite a bit of erosion between Council Bluffs and Atlantic on U.S. Highway 6, Jerman said, but repairs shouldn’t cause workers to close lanes.
This incident follows two holes that formed in the Interstate system in Council Bluffs, where the freeways are being rebuilt in a massive decade-long project.
Thursday’s collapsed shoulder was not in the construction zone, and Jerman said it was unrelated to the other holes, which both occurred near where pipes had been installed.
In October 2013, the eastbound lanes of I-80 east of the 24th Street exit were shut down for about 12 hours after a construction crew installing a drainage pipe encountered a hole directly underneath the roadway. The shoulder crumbled and the traffic lanes appeared imperiled, but they did not cave in. Workers repaired the roadway.
Then in May, a large hole formed in the median of I-80 near Horseshoe Casino after a spell of heavy rains and several weeks after a contractor had installed a temporary storm sewer pipe. Workers shut down and tore out a portion of the eastbound lanes to make the repair
Oct 24, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.click2houston.com/news/portion-of-southwest-houston-budd...
Portion of southwest Houston Buddhist temple collapses
Published On: Oct 30 2014 06:07:48 AM CDT Updated On: Oct 30 2014 07:05:02 PM CDT
HOUSTON -
Police closed off a Buddhist temple in southwest Houston after a portion of the building collapsed Thursday morning.
The sacred prayer room has been sectioned off after the roof collapsed at the Vietnam Buddhist Temple.
"I tried to calm myself down, and accept what I see and hear, without negative reaction because whatever happened, happened already," said Buddhist monk Thich Dao Quang.
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According to officers, an alarm went off at around 1:45 a.m. Thursday at the temple on Synott near Old Richmond. Resident monks don't start praying until around 4:30 a.m., so no one was inside when the roof fell.
"I feel very, very sad, but it is a Buddha blessing that nobody was in there," said Thu Thao Dang.
The entire compound spans 20 acres. The members spent years raising funds to build the portion of the worship center that has stood for 14 years.
"This area is very important, over 100 people pray every Sunday," said Quang.
Although the building has significant damage, they plan to rebuild.
"No one got hurt. Being a Buddhist monk, the most important thing is damage to spiritual life and damage to emotional, but I think with the community support we can rebuild," said Quang.
According to the district chief of the Houston Fire Department, structural engineers were expected to arrive at the temple sometime Thursday to assess the damage and try to determine what caused the collapse.
Oct 31, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/5-storey-building-fall...
5-storey building falls, techie dies
Residents of five-storey Pitaram Complex in Narhe village had a narrow escape in the early hours of Friday, when the building collapsed killing a young software engineer who had alerted them to save their lives.
Residents said they had detected cracks on walls over the last few days. A resident said they raised the matter with the building supervisor on Thursday. But nobody thought the building would collapse as construction was hardly done over a year ago. The deceased, Sandeep Mohite (29), was a resident of 503, and stayed with his parents. His sister and brother-in-law lived in flat 504.
Sandeep’s father Dilip Mohite (57) said, “Sandeep noticed something like an earthquake around 3 am and raised an alarm. Soon, we rushed down and saw huge cracks on walls. My wife, son, daughter, son-in-law and I moved out. Sandeep went to the basement where we had parked our car and a motorbike. He was about to come out with the car when the building collapsed,” said Dilip.
“We never expected the building to collapse as it was constructed hardly a year ago. We shifted just three months back,” he added. Kalpesh Shah, who lives nearby, informed police and fire brigade around 3.10 am. Police teams, fire brigade and government officials rushed to the spot. All residents, except Sandeep and a woman and a child from from one Gupta family were not accounted for. Initially, we though three persons were stuck in debris. Later, police contacted the Guptas who had left a day earlier. National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and fire brigade teams intensified efforts to rescue Sandeep.
Cranes were pressed into action. Around 5 pm, they reached the spot in the basement where Sandeep was lying unconscious in his car. After he was brought out doctors pronounced him dead. Post-mortem reports confirmed he died due to suffocation.
Police said there were about 20 apartments and eight were occupied by families. Some were flat owners while others were tenants. Police said the building was constructed by Kishorbhai Pitambar Vadgama of V K Associates and the owner of the land was Ranjit Desai.
Government officials confirmed that the building violated construction norms. Officials said the builder did not follow norms and added an extra floor without permission, on weak foundation.
Additional commissioner of police Chandrashekhar Daithankar said, “We detained the builder for inquiry. Investigation will be done to check irregularities in construction.” The process of lodging an offence was on at Sinhagad police station late on Friday.
Prakash Yadav, who was living in flat 502 with his family on rent said, “We heard unusual noise around 3 am. We thought it was an earthquake. We tried to move out. But the door was not opening. So we kicked at the door hard. As soon as the door opened,
we moved out and the building collapsed within seconds. We could see cracks developing and widening as we were stepping down the stairs. We are in a state of shock. All our belongings are stuck in debris.” Chief Fire Officer Prashant Ranpise said, “A team of 40 firemen and four fire tenders were pressed into action around 3.30 am. The work of removing the rubble is still on.” S Ahmed, assistant commandant, NDRF said, “Our three teams were involved in rescue operations since 5.30 am. We used advanced equipment. We called off the operation around 7.30 pm.”
Nov 1, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.thelocal.se/20141104/two-dead-in-stockholm-building-coll...
Two dead in Stockholm wall collapse
Published: 04 Nov 2014 10:33 GMT+01:00
Updated: 04 Nov 2014 12:33 GMT+01:00
A wall on a building site where a power plant was being built has collapsed, killing two people and seriously injuring another.
Nov 4, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/watch-buildings-...
Buildings collapse onto Wirral street sparks massive emergency operation
Residents in adjoining homes were forced to evacuate when two buildings collapsed into rubble without warning
Two derelict council owned buildings in a terraced row collapsed into a Merseyside street.
No one was reported as trapped or injured after the properties fell into King Street,Wallasey at around 7.30pm.
Residents in the terrace, between Rudgrave Place and Glenalmond Road, were evacuated and fire and rescue dogs searched the rubble as a precaution.
At 10.30pm, Merseyside Fire and Rescue was working with National Grid to make sure the gas supply was isolated.
It was unclear when residents would be able to return, and many spoke of their shock.
Eric Robertson, who lives next door to the collapsed building, told the ECHO: “I was watching Coronation Street when I heard what sounded like a ceiling collapsing and creaking.
“Then there was a massive crash I felt the building shake.
“I came out to the front and saw the front of the shop next door lying on the pavement.
“The whole of the top two storeys had disappeared along with the roof and I saw an ambulance passing by.
“I asked the driver to call the police and he said they were on their way.
“When the police arrived, they started evacuating people from the area.”
Nov 13, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.hivisasa.com/nakuru/news/118623/3-dead-5-injured-olengur...
3 dead, 5 injured in Olenguruone building collapse
At least three people died on Thursday morning and more than five people injured after a wall of a building collapsed near the Olenguruone Olive petrol station in Olenguruone town.
Police said the victims were hit by flying materials after the wall crashed onto the streets before the injured victims were pulled from debris and taken to hospital.
Olenguruone OCPD Samuel Mburu said the collapse may have been caused by poor construction but was quick to note that they were yet to find out the actual cause.
“We have called house construction experts to check on what caused the incident,” said a police officer.
Witnesses said they heard a loud bang before the wall came down in the morning while workers were inside. Then other workers nearby rushed to the scene and raised an alarm.
Police officers moved in haste disperse crowds to facilitate the rescue of victims by using a crane to remove debris.
Nov 14, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.ecns.cn/2014/11-15/142838.shtml
2 killed, 7 injured in building collapse in south China
2014-11-15 16:59Xinhua
Rescuers work at the site of house collapse at Changyaoling Village in the Baiyun District of Guangzhou, capital of south China's Guangdong Province, Nov 15, 2014. (Xinhua/Lu Jiandong)
Two people died and seven others were injured after a building collapsed in south China's Guangdong Province, local sources said on Saturday.
The six-story building, under construction at Changyaoling Village of Baiyun District of Guangzhou City, collapsed in early Saturday morning, the city's police said.
Xinhua correspondents saw at the scene the walls of first and second floors remained intact, but the floors above them collapsed. The police said that one of the injured is in serious condition.
Residents nearby said that they heard loud noise and felt tremor in the morning. Several residential buildings suffered an electricity blackout afterwards.
Rescue work is under way and cause of the accident is being investigated.
Nov 16, 2014
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2836805/Building-collapse-F...
Collapse of 210-year-old building in New Orleans' historic French Quarter raises warning flags about decay in one of America's oldest and most fragile neighborhoods
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
PUBLISHED: 17:37 GMT, 16 November 2014 | UPDATED: 20:22 GMT, 16 November 2014
The collapse of a 210-year-old building in the heart of the French Quarter is raising warning flags about decay and a lack of rigorous inspections in one of America's oldest and most fragile neighborhoods.
No one was injured when the three-story, brick-and-cypress building collapsed in late October, but the episode has thrown into focus an array of problems throughout the nearly 300-year-old Quarter. Among them: structural decay, voracious termites at work on aged wood beams, Louisiana's humid climate, absentee landlords and the stresses of modern life as rattle streets and balconied buildings standing shoulder to shoulder.
Perhaps the biggest problem, though, is that no one is charged with making sure the Quarter's 3,000 old buildings are stable. And the city has no in-depth inspection policy tailored to the distinct qualities of its first neighborhood.
Collapse: Pedestrians watch down the street from where a three-story, brick-and-cypress building collapsed in the historic French Quarter in New Orleans on October 22
The single inspector at the Vieux Carre Commission, the city's zoning arm for the Quarter, only has authority to inspect a building's exterior. Citations are routine for gaudy signs and Plexiglas — violations of historical standards — or letting a facade decay. Owners can't be cited for letting a floor sag or allowing mortar to deteriorate to dust on the interiors of their buildings. There are city building and fire , but they do not do random inspections of old structures.
The commission's check-ups amount to 'a visual inspection that occurs from the streets, corners, and any aerial views that we are readily afforded,' said commission chairman Musso. 'We do not have the ability to a piece of property, or a courtyard, or a rear of a building. It could have been crucial in this particular instance.'
Even based on superficial assessments, he's concerned about the condition of some structures: 'We do have a series of buildings that are highly suspect, should we say.'
Though many residents and preservationists deem the collapse a wake-up call, longtime Quarter real estate agent Michael Wilkinson thinks the steady rise of wealthier owners ensures most properties are being looked after. Property values have increased by as much as 30 percent in recent years.
Accident: The collapse near the heart of the Quarter came at lunchtime on a Tuesday on a block of Royal Street lined with high-end art galleries, boutiques, stores and restaurants
Nov 16, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
Tenn.
http://www.newschannel9.com/news/top-stories/stories/several-injure...
Monday, November 17 2014, 06:33 PM EST
The accident sent one construction worker to the hospital, according to Chattanooga firefighters. It happened behind Springhill Suites off Molly Lane and Riverfront Parkway about 10 a.m. in the project known as Cameron Harbor Homes. Nashville-based developer Aaron White, of Evergreen Real Estate, told NewsChannel9's Briona Arradondo what he believes caused it.
"We had some heavy wind gust come up off the river, and that partially completed structure basically functioned like a sail. It caught all of the wind," said White. "It wasn't yet complete and ready to withstand those kinds of winds the way it would be when it's all done."
Firefighters said no one got trapped under the debris.
"Fortunately, when firefighters arrived, all of the injured parties were already out from underneath the structure," said Bruce Garner, spokesperson for Chattanooga Fire Department.
All eyes remained on the third unstable townhouse as it leaned to one side.
City Building Inspector Dallas Rucker said the project wasn't even due for an inspection yet because it was in the middle of being framed up. White said they would have had an inspection at the end of the week.
"We've instructed the crews to take those homes all the way back down to the foundation. We're going to start over, rebuild them," said White. "We'll bring a third-party structural engineer that will take a fresh look at all the homes and the work processes. They will make their recommendations, and then we'll follow that professionally engineered plan to a T."
The owner of the last-standing townhouse arrived to take pictures of the damage. He didn't want to talk on camera but told NewsChannel9 that he was concerned. Developers said they may not be finished by spring anymore.
"We're not yet ready to say how this will affect the timeline, but I do know that we'll take the time to get the process and the product adjusted, if necessary, fix it right, and quality will come first over timeline," said White.
Developers and firefighters are calling this an extraordinary situation.
"If the building looked like the one that's still standing, it's really quite amazing that we didn't have more serious injuries than what we had," said Garner. "We're hoping that the one person who was transported was not seriously injured. It could have been a lot worse."
Nov 18, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/yet-another-bus-route-r...
Yet another bus route road caves in
Updated: November 22, 2014 01:46 IST
Bus route roads continue to cave in, posing risks to motorists in various parts of the city.
After damage to roads in Perambur, T. Nagar and K.K. Nagar, a portion of Deputy Mayor Kabalamoorthy Road in Chintadripet collapsed on Friday. The road caved in after a bus crossed the spot at 2.45 p.m., said a resident. A group of residents and police barricaded the area but buses and heavy vehicles continued to use the road on Friday.
The Chennai Corporation has roped in technical experts to conduct a study on roads, but officials said they were yet to understand the reasons for recurrence of such incidents. “ Officials said damage to a sewage pipeline was likely to be the reason for the collapse of the road, ” said M. Pandian, Corporation councillor of the locality.
Officials were also unable to repair the road because of other utilities on the stretch. “Power supply may be disrupted if we carry out work at night. So, officials have stopped work. They have made lighting arrangements for safety of residents,” he said.
Disaster management experts have stressed the need for a complete study on such damage to roads.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/two-killed-in-building-...
Two killed in building collapse
Two persons were killed and three injured after a dilapidated building on Rajaji Salai near Chennai Collectorate collapsed on Friday.
The façade of the building collapsed at 9.15 p.m. while most of the structure remained intact. The building is said to be a 100-year-old structure that housed a vehicle service centre.
According to police sources, one of the victims, Arokia Raj (35) was reportedly trapped in the debris after the structure collapsed on the road while he was crossing the stretch in his motorcycle. He was taken to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
The address of the person is yet to be traced. By 11 p.m., another unidentified man was found dead after some more debris were cleared by the Fire and Rescue Services. The person is likely to be a pedestrian trapped while crossing the stretch. The watchman of the building, however, escaped unhurt.
Two passengers in a share auto and a motorist were also injured and admitted to Government Stanley Medical College Hospital.
Chennai Corporation officials said they were unaware of the structural condition of the building. The civic body is yet to issue notice under the provisions of the CCMC Act for the building. Every monsoon, the Chennai Corporation officials issue notice to dilapidated buildings to ensure the safety of those living in or near such buildings. Structures likely to endanger public health or safety will have to be altered by the owner, said an official.
Nov 22, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.myfoxchicago.com/story/27463135/building-collapse-report...
CHICAGO (Sun-Times Media Wire) -
Firefighters rescued two women Sunday night from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building on the South Side, authorities said.
The building near 58th Street and Calumet Avenue in the Washington Park neighborhood pancaked at 6:55 p.m. after an explosion. The two women were the only people believed to be living in the building at the time, Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford said.
People's Gas was on scene with the fire department helping officials determine whether a gas leak caused what may have been an explosion, Langford said.
One neighbor, McKiley Jonkins, saw a flash of light then heard an explosion.
“Boom. It was the loudest explosion I ever heard,” she told the Chicago Sun-Times.
But the building didn't go up in flames, Jonkins said.
It just “blew,” she said. “It blew the windows out.”
Jonkins said she was thinking the worst for the people who lived in the building, until she saw one woman moving as she was pulled from the rubble.
“Who would really make it out of something like this?” Jonkins said.
A 78-year-old woman was in critical condition at Stroger Hospital but she was talking and alert, Langford said. The other woman, who appeared to be in her 30s and lived on another floor, was in fair-to-serious condition at University of Chicago Medical Center, Langford said.
A pit bull named Tigger also survived.
The explosion shook homes blocks away, causing their lights to blink.
Neighbor Richard McCarthy was a block away, playing video games in his first-floor apartment, when he heard “two big booms.”The nicest, newest three-flat on the block had been leveled.”People were scared,” McCarthy told the Sun-Times.
Nearby cars were buried under rubble, and crumpled vehicles were towed from an adjacent lot.
Angela Brooks, who lives next door, had her car totaled.
“That thing that looks like it is the roof” of the leveled building, Brooks said, “is kind of sitting on the front of my car.”
The explosion moved her bed.
“It sounded like a transformer blew,” Brooks said.
She said it took about five minutes for the ash and dust to settle before she could see through her window what happened.
“It took me a moment to realize that that building was gone,” Brooks said.
Nov 24, 2014
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2849017/The-leaning-towers-...
The leaning towers of Shanghai: Tower blocks built two years ago for people forced to make way for new Disney theme park are now holding each other up
By JULIAN ROBINSON FOR MAILONLINE
PUBLISHED: 15:41 GMT, 25 November 2014 | UPDATED: 17:11 GMT, 25 November 2014
These pictures show the crumbling concrete at the top of two newly-built tower blocks in China - amid claims they are starting to topple towards each other.
The 15-storey blocks were built in Shanghai, eastern China two years ago to offer to people relocated to make way for a Disney theme park.
But residents who live in the high-rise , in the Pudong New Area in Chuansha Town, say the original narrow gap between the buildings has disappeared and they are now touching.
Pictures show the crumbling concrete on two newly-built tower blocks in China - amid claims they are starting to topple towards each other
The 15-storey blocks were built in Shanghai, eastern China two years ago to offer accommodation to people relocated to make way for a Disney theme park
Nov 26, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/25/cairo-building-collaps...
Cairo building collapse kills at least 17 people
Associated Press in Cairo
Tuesday 25 November 2014 09.42 EST
At least 17 people have been killed after a seven-storey building collapsed in the western Cairo suburb of Matariya.
Eight residents of the building were pulled out alive. Among the survivors was the son of the building owner who, witnesses said, jumped off a balcony. Others who remain trapped in the rubble are using mobile phones to call their neighbours, pleading for rescue.
Rescue teams are searching for survivors trapped under rubble, and several nearby buildings have been evacuated.
The collapse is believed to have been caused by unauthorised construction of several storeys on the old building.
Such collapses are common in Egypt, where shoddy construction is widespread in shantytowns, poor city neighbourhoods and rural areas. With a housing shortage and lax government oversight, developers seeking bigger profits frequently build without authorization.
Nov 26, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/puducherry-heritage-building-...
Puducherry heritage building collapses in rain
Updated: November 29, 2014 19:33 IST
The Mairie (French for town hall), which housed the Mayor’s office, functioned for over a century as the hub of municipal administration.
The 144-year-old Mairie Building, the seat of municipal administration in the French era and one of the prominent landmarks of Puducherry, caved in on a rain-hit Saturday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses said the building collapsed at around 1.40 p.m.
There were no casualties.
“Nine workers who were engaged in restoration works were out for lunch when the structure collapsed,” said Mannadhan, the building watchman who was the first to report the incident to higher-ups.
The damage assessment carried out by a team of experts and Government officials has indicated that the entire structure would have to be built from scratch.
“We would inspect the other heritage and ancient buildings constructed during the French regime to ascertain their stability. The government is keen to restore all the heritage buildings in Puducherry,” said N.G. Pannirselvam, Local Administration Minister.
Built in 1870-71, the Mairie (French for town hall) building was an important part of an ensemble of sea-facing landmark structures, including the old lighthouse, the Chief Secretariat and the French
Consulate, that date back to a period of French colonial rule in this coastal town.
It was in 1674 that the French East India Company established a trade outpost here.
After a series of wars through the eighteenth century, primarily Anglo-French wars for possession, the town was continuously under French rule since the second decade of the 19th century, and remained
so even when the British gained control of the whole of India in the late 1850s.
The Mairie, which housed the Mayor’s office, functioned for over a century as the hub of municipal administration. In fact, it was in this building that the first attempt at democracy for Puducherry was tried out during 1870-1900 long before the first general elections were held in British India, according to Ashok Panda, co-convener, INTACH.
The Mairie also housed the Legislative Assembly of Puducherry for four years from 1964 (when the first general election was held in the wake of de jure transfer of power) before the Assembly was shifted to the
present premises in 1969. It also provided facility for marriages and other public functions.
For years, the building served as the office of the municipal administration department of the Puducherry Government. Many offices were relocated to a new complex in Kamban Kalai Arangam and the last
remaining registry office was shifted in 2012. Since then, the building has been kept vacant to undertake the restoration works.
It was earlier this year that a renovation plan was sanctioned under the Project Implementation Agency (PIA) of the Government with a Rs. 7.5 crore aid from the World Bank. The task was entrusted to the INTACH after taking technical advice of IIT, Madras, and Archaeological Survey of India.
A.K. Das, Project Manager, INTACH, told The Hindu that the exact cause for the collapse is yet to be ascertained.
“We have to sit with the government and make an assessment of the present situation,” he said.
At the moment, no one can hazard a guess as to what it would take or how much it would cost to rebuild and restore the Mairie to its original state.
The eastern and western façade of the two-storied building featured arcaded entrance verandahs on high plinth accessed by a broad flight of ornately designed granite steps, while the first floor featured
coloured galleries and a large ceremonial hall with wooden flooring.
The diverse architecture and aesthetic appeal, the very virtues that the Marie symbolised, will now poses a challenge of monumental proportions to any agency that is tasked with its restoration.
Nov 29, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/one-dead-7-inj...
One dead, 7 injured in Ghaziabad building collapse
SSP Dharmendra Yadav said the incident took place in Tronica City police station area of the district where the under-construction building collapsed and those working in it were feared to be trapped under the debris.
He said efforts are being made to rescue those trapped in the debris.
Yadav said one person has died while seven others injured have been sent to hospital for treatment.
Police and district administration has reached the spot to oversee the rescue and relief operations, while work is underway to remove the debris.
Nov 30, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/Building-Collapses-in-Portsmouth...
Building Collapses in Portsmouth, No Injuries Reported
PORTSMOUTH, Ohio (WSAZ) -- Crews are on scene of a building collapse in Portsmouth.
Portsmouth Fire Chief Bill Raison tells WSAZ the building is located at the corner of Court Street and Front Street.
It happened just before 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Chief Raison tells WSAZ there were people in the three story building, but they were able to escape when the collapse happened. They were "very fortunate" according to Raison.
Raison says the rest of the building that is still standing is unstable and will have to be brought down immediately. They are waiting on a crew to get to the scene to demolish the building.
Front Street and Court Street in the area of the building are both closed at this time.
Dec 2, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.hivisasa.com/nakuru/news/126224/building-collapses-kills...
Building collapses, kills four
Four people died on Tuesday afternoon and more than 12 others injured after two storied building collapsed at Kuresoi town as workers inside it used a generator painting machine to paint the walls.
Kuresoi police boss Francis Katau said the collapse may have been occasioned by poor construction planning but was quick to note that they were yet to find out the actual cause which made the building to collapse.
Police said the victims were hit by flying materials after the wall crashed onto the streets before the injured victims were pulled from debris and taken to hospital.
“We have called house construction experts to check on what may have caused the building to collapse,” said a police officer.
Witnesses said they heard a loud bang before the wall came down in the afternoon while workers were inside.
“Police officers dispersed crowds to facilitate the rescue of victims by using a crane, where the dead bodies were recovered while 12 others sustained major injuries and were rushed to Molo sub-county hospital,” said a witness.
Dec 10, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://wwlp.com/2014/12/11/partial-building-collapse-at-essex-house...
Side of Essex House in Holyoke collapsed; city block evacuated
No injuries reported in collapse, section of High Street is closed
HOLYOKE, Mass. (WWLP) – An entire city block in downtown Holyoke has been evacuated, due to the collapse of a multi-story section of the former Essex House hotel.
Holyoke Fire Capt. Anthony Cerruti told 22News that they received word of the collapse at the 400 High Street hotel at around 11:45 Thursday afternoon. No one was injured, but several stories on the north side of the building came down, and a large hole along the side of the building is clearly visible. Bricks from the building tumbled down to the ground and on top of a nearby building.
Cerruti said the Essex House has been deteriorating for a long time, and that there were plans in the works to knock it down. The structure was even the subject of a protest by local residents back in September, who said that it was a public hazard.
Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse told 22News that he has been advocating to get the building demolished, but that some members of the City Council had underestimated the risk of collapse.
“We had city councilors throughout this entire process discount the word of experts; the building department, the fire department, who said this would happen. It’s happened. Instead, they chose to say it wouldn’t happen and hadn’t happened in years; ‘what makes you think it’s going to happen now?’ And my job is to trust the experts. That’s what I did, that’s what the experts said happened,” Morse said.
A contractor had been hired to demolish the building in the next couple of days.
Jose Bou, the owner of the nearby Salsarengue Restaurant, said that he expected that this collapse would happen, but it was still a frightening experience.
“We heard the building shaking, we felt it, and the first time it wasn’t that loud, but the second time, it was really extremely loud and very hard. So we came out and we saw the building collapse,” Bou said.
Cerruti said that all of the buildings on the block (from Essex St. to Appleton St.) have had their utilities shut off, and that section of High Street will likely remain closed until the Essex House is demolished.
Dec 11, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.vocm.com/newsarticle.asp?mn=2&id=51419&popular=1
Narrow Escape for Burgeo Man after Highway Collapse
Monday , December 15 2014 | 1:59:49 PM
A highway worker from Burgeo was airlifted to hospital after being injured on the job when the highway collapsed around him.
The man was driving the Burgeo Highway early yesterday morning when the road collapsed beneath him. Area residents say the man crawled through his truck window to get back up onto the highway until he was found by another driver.
The 47-year-old was medevaced out of the area by a Cormorant some 12 hours after the accident. The road remains closed in the Tilt Brook area.
The washout has cut the town of Burgeo off, and according to town councillor Rick Blagdon says it could be a couple of days before there's a fix.
He says the town is entirely cut off which means people can't get to medical appointments, no mail will be delivered, and no groceries will be able to get in. Blagdon says if the province decides to put in a bailey bridge, then it will take two to three days to connect.
Blagdon says it's unclear if heavy rains or an aging culvert are to blame for the washout but he says it's just the latest in a series of problems with the road, with three washouts in the last year alone.
Blagdon says something more long-term needs to be done, because it's not normal to have someone driving and then the road collapse.
Dec 16, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.kristv.com/news/5-story-building-collapses-without-warni...
5-Story Building Collapses Without Warning In Kenya
KENYA - Rescuers in Kenya are working frantically to save some people trapped after a five-story building collapsed.
The Kenyan Red Cross said at least seven people have been rescued from underneath all that rubble.
No word on how many are trapped or injured.
The Kenyan government said right now they aren't sure what caused the building to just collapse, but they will be investigating
Video link in article.
Dec 17, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://westchester.news12.com/news/investigation-launched-into-tapp...
Investigation launched into silo collapse
December 17, 2014 8:34 AM
TARRYTOWN - New safety concerns are surfacing about the new Tappan Zee Bridge after a piece of equipment collapsed and brought construction to halt.
Three silos toppled like dominos on one of two floating concrete plant barges at the construction site yesterday. The silos, big tube-like structures, hold the raw materials that make up cement.
A spokesperson for Tappan Zee Constructors, the group that is building the new $3.9 billion bridge, says a failure in the one concrete storage silo tipped and caused two other silos on the barge to bend and collapse as well. Concrete pumping has been suspended at both plants.
Tappan Zee Constructors sent out a written statement that reads in part, "All workers are safe and representatives from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and engineers from TZC and the New York State Thruway Authority are on the scene assessing the situation. Safety and environmental stewardship are our top priorities as we continue to investigate this incident."
According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, no cement spilled into the river.
Dec 17, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/three-trapped-in...
Two trapped in rubble as yet another collapse hits LRT line
Published: December 24, 2014 07:43 PMUPDATED: December 24, 2014 10:35 pm
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 — Two workers remain trapped under the rubble in the latest collapse to hit LRT extension project, according to rescuers, after it was earlier feared as many as four were caught in the incident near Putra Heights in Subang.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department assistant director of operation Harul said a K-9 unit is currently aiding rescuers in locating the two workers.
“When we reached earlier, there were about eight people were working where the concrete had fallen,” he told reporters outside the construction site.
He added that four escaped with light injuries while two others were unhurt. All six, believed to be migrant workers from Bangladesh, have been sent to hospitals for treatment.
“Now we believe still two more victims are still trapped under the rubble and we have moved the STORM unit from Shah Alam and the Subang Jaya and Puhong Fire and Rescue Department to assist with rescue works,” he said.
STORM is the department’s Special Tactical Operation Rescue unit.
Mohd Sani added, however, that the victims’ conditions were currently unknown.
According to the Fire and Rescue Department earlier, the mishap occurred at 4.29pm today during a concrete pour for the train depot at Kuala Sungai Baru.
The department earlier said that three victims were trapped in the collapse, but Prasarana Bhd, the operator of the LRT line, later issued a statement saying that four people were thought to be stuck under the rubble.
IN THE GALLERY
A fireman and his dog rush to search the site for signs of life, December 24, 2014. — Fire and Rescue Department pic
A site view of the Putra Heights LRT station after a concrete pouring led to a floor collapsing, December 24, 2014. — Fire and Rescue Department pic
Prasarana also said the accident took place when the formwork and scaffolding collapsed during the concreting of the deck slab for the train depot.
Today’s collapse is the latest to hit the LRT Line Extension Project (LEP) that has an eventful history, with several cases of falling structures including one fatal incident.
Last March last year, a man was killed when a 10-tonne piece of construction equipment fell from a crane used for the LRT extension and crushed his car along Jalan Lapangan Terbang Subang.
In June this year, two people were hurt when a metal beam fell from a crane and onto their vehicle.
Construction of the Putra Heights terminal began in 2011 as a part of the LEP, which involves additions to the existing Ampang and Kelana Jaya LRT network.
The Sri Petaling and Kelana Jaya stations are expected to be extended to Putra Heights, which will be featured as “an integrated station” where the two lines meet.
According Prasarana, the extension to the Ampang line - which passes through residential and commercial areas in Bukit Jalil, Bandar Kinrara, Puchong, Kampung Sri Aman and
Putra Heights - will be extended for 18.1 kilometres.
Meanwhile, the Kelana Jaya line will stretch to cover another 17.4km passing through Lembah Subang, Subang Jaya, USJ and Putra Heights.
Dec 24, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.wlwt.com/news/building-at-west-court-elm-streets-partial...
Building at West Court, Elm streets partially collapses
First repsonders: Building was vacant at time of collapse
Authorities said the building is in the 100 block of West Court Street near Elm Street.
First responders said the building was vacant and that is was an old warehouse.
Firefighters said there is no word yet on injuries.
Neighboring buildings were evacuated as a precaution, officers said.
Some cars parked the street in the area were damaged in the collapse, according to authorities.
The cause of the collapse is under investigation, police said.
West Court Street between Race and Elm streets is closed due to the building collapse.
Dec 28, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.rt.com/usa/218847-chicago-salt-spill-collapse/
Salt factory wall collapses, spill brings bad luck on car dealership (PHOTOS, VIDEO)
Edited time: December 31, 2014 03:54
A partially collapsed wall at the Morton Salt facility gave way to tons of salt being dumped onto parked cars at an adjacent car dealership in Chicago, Illinois, December 30, 2014. (Reuters / Andrew Nelles)
Several cars parked outside a car dealership in Chicago have been buried under tons of salt after a wall of an overfilled salt factory next door collapsed. As unlucky it is to spill salt, no one was injured in the incident.
The Morton Salt plant in Chicago is known for its signature rooftop sign, "When it Rains it Pours," and for its logo which features a hand-drawn girl with an umbrella scattering salt from a container. It was developed to show Morton salt was free flowing even in rainy weather. On Tuesday morning the weight of the free flowing salt forced a wall down on several cars at an Acura car dealership. There were no injuries
The general manager at the Acura car dealership said they were calling customers to tell them their cars were buried underneath road salt.
"Most of them are kind of surprised when we say we will send you pictures and that you can see it on the news tonight," General Manager Noble Jones told DNAinfo.
ones said Morton’s had reached out to them and said they will inspect the building and work with the dealership to clean the spill.
The Chicago Department of Buildings Director of Public Affairs said in a released statement "a preliminary inspection determined that salt inside the building structure was piled too high causing the exterior wall to fail."
Morton Salt produces table and specialty salts and ice melters for road/highway use. It is North America’s leading producer and marketer of salt, according to the company’s website.
Dec 31, 2014
Starr DiGiacomo
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/video/2015-01/04/c_133895043.htm
English.news.cn 2015-01-04 11:06:02
BEIJING, Jan. 4 (Xinhuanet) -- China suffered another deadly building collapse on Friday, this time in central Hunan Province. 6 construction workers are dead , after a roof caved in at a construction site in the city of Chenzhou.
The workers were building a machine repair room when the roof came down, 11 were trapped under the debris, 5 were later rescued. Heavy machinery and materials at the site added to the difficulties for rescue workers. The 5 rescued men are now in hospital undergoing treatment. An investigation into the collapse is underway.
Jan 4, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.wrexham.com/news/town-centre-building-collapses-road-512...
Three Story Town Centre Building Collapses Into Road
Published: Sunday, Jan 4th, 2015
A building has collapsed with an ‘almighty bang’ causing debris to spill over the pavement, road and destroying a street light.
UPDATE: North Wales Police have since released a statement, saying: “Pen-y-Bryn Road at Wrexham will be closed until at least Monday morning (5th of January), between Tenters Square and Chapel Street due to structural damage. We apologise for any inconvenience and thank the public for their patience.”
It is believed the building was due to be demolished next week, however work on taking down the remainder of the building has started. Story continues............
Jan 4, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://uchaguzi.co.ke/seven-storied-building-huruma-collapses/
Seven storied building in Huruma collapses-Updated
Reports on the ground indicate that a building has collapsed in Huruma trapping scores of people. The collapsed building is in a residential area.
Relaible sources indicate that it was seven storied. Sirens can be heard with ambulances and first responders rushing to the scene.
Jan 5, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://palermo.repubblica.it/cronaca/2015/01/04/news/palermo-agrige...
Palermo-Agrigento, viaduct collapses in a week. Renzi: "The manager will pay"
"The viaduct Scorciavacche 2, on the Palermo-Agrigento, inaugurated last December 23 and cost 13 million, has collapsed. Only a lucky coincidence did not hurt anyone, but that does not change one iota the sins of the guilty. I asked Anas to the name of the official: time is over errors that never have a father. They will pay all ". Writes it on Facebook Premier Matteo Renzi, about the collapse of the variant "Scorciavacche", a new stretch of one kilometer of highway 121 as part of the modernization works of the route Palermo-Lercara Friddi. The announcement of the tour lives comes a few minutes a similar message always launched by Prime Minister on Twitter: "Viaduct Scorciavacche, Palermo. Opened December 23, collapses in 10 days.
Jan 5, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.finditwestvalley.com/travel/breaking-building-under-buil...
BREAKING: Building under building collapses in York County
Police and rescue crews responded to a building collapse this afternoon in the Nelson's Grant region of York County.
Police and rescue crews responded to a building collapse this afternoon in the Nelson's Grant region of York County. Five building workers sustained non-life threatening injuries and two of the five have been trapped under debris. 1 of the two, who were trapped, were flown in Sentara Norfolk General Hospital's Nightingale Regional Air Ambulance to the hospital.
When York County's Fire and Life Safety and technical rescue group arrived at the scene personnel stabilized wooden trusses that had fallen before pulling the injured workers out of the debris, said Assistant Fire Chief Paul Long with York County Fire and Rescue.
Extended stated he could not say why the wooden trusses fell, which triggered a partial roof collapse. A federal OSHA representative was on the scene to gather data and investigate what triggered the creating collapse, Lengthy mentioned.
Dave Newcomb, owner of construction services who is developing the commercial creating in the Nelson's Grant area mentioned that the wooden trusses, which are used to create the roof, collapsed due to the fact of the wind.
"This has in no way happened before," Newcomb mentioned.
His building crew had set the trusses Friday morning and were preparing to add far more on Monday, he mentioned.
Roughly a single ladder truck, three fire engine trucks, 4 ambulances, one helicopter and a number of other automobiles responded to the incident that occurred at 1:47 p.m. on Friday at Nelson's Grant, a new improvement beneath building along Route 17 close to the intersection with Fort Eustis Boulevard. About 25 personnel responded to the incident, Long said.
Jan 10, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.torquayheraldexpress.co.uk/Wall-collapse-crushes-car-Tor...
Road still closed as wall collapse crushes car in Torquay
Posted: January 11, 2015
The crushed car on Warren Road
A SECTION of Warren Road in Torquay remains closed this morning following a wall collapse that crushed a nearby parked car.
The stone wall gave way in the early hours of Saturday morning, bringing rocks and large boulders down onto silver Vauxhall Corsa. The car sustained major damage although no one was injured.
Large rocks also fell close to houses in the street as the road was made impassable at the Shedden Hill Rd end due to debris.
Jan 13, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2015/01/20/1414781/12-dead-bulaca...
12 dead as Bulacan wall collapses
(The Philippine Star) | Updated January 20, 2015 - 12:00am
GUIGUINTO, Bulacan, Philippines – The wall of a warehouse being constructed in Barangay Ilang-ilang in this town collapsed yesterday afternoon, killing at least 12 people and injuring five others.
Witnesses said at least 14 people were trapped when the eight-foot high wall collapsed around 3:30 p.m. As of press time, the identities of the casualties and injured were being verified.
Police investigator Ariel Modelo confirmed that at least 12 people were killed in the accident. He also said that the number of dead and injured could still increase as rescue and retrieval operations were ongoing.
Liz Mungcal, executive officer of the provincial disaster risk reduction and management office, cannot yet ascertain what caused the collapse of the structure.
But Senior Superintendent Ferdinand Divina, Bulacan Police provincial director, said initial reports showed that the wall collapsed on the barracks of construction workers.
and another collapse:
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/manresa-road-chelsea-school-ro...
Manresa Road school roof collapse: Medics treat 15 primary school children after assembly hall ceiling caves in
At least seven children - aged between 9 and 12-years-old - have been treated for minor injuries following the horrific incident
At least 15 children have been treated by medics after a roof collapsed at a primary school this morning.
Seven have been taken to hospital with minor injuries after the assembly hall ceiling caved in at private school GEMS Hampshire School, in Manresa Road, Chelsea, west London.
Children aged between 9 and 12 were among those who suffered bruises and dust in their eyes and were taken to hospital.
The fire brigade said no one was trapped but emergency services remain on site treating those affected.
A spokesman for the London Fire Brigade told Mirror Online that they have now secured the building, and left the situation in the hands of the owners.
Jan 20, 2015
KM
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2917738/At-one-person-kille...
One construction worker killed and a driver injured after overpass collapses in Ohio
PUBLISHED: 05:14 GMT, 20 January 2015 | UPDATED: 12:56 GMT, 20 January 2015
A construction worker was killed and a tractor-trailer driver injured when an interstate overpass undergoing demolition collapsed in Cincinnati, fire and emergency medical officials said on Tuesday.
The overpass - part of an off-ramp in Camp Washington, Cincinnati - collapsed around 10.30pm on Monday.
The driver of a tractor-trailer crashed into the estimated 100 tons of concrete as it hit the ground. He was taken to of Cincinnati Medical Center.
Emergency crews were working on Tuesday to retrieve the body of the construction worker who had been pinned under the collapsed debris.
A construction worker was killed on Monday night when an old overpass he was working on collapsed in Cincinnati, Ohio
The driver of a tractor-trailer had a lucky escape with minor injuries after his rig ploughed into the debris
Rescue workers worked through the night on Tuesday to remove the trapped body of the construction worker who was killed when an off-ramp collapsed in Cincinnati, Ohio
Jan 20, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/3-storey-building-col...
3 storey-building collapses in Delhi, no casualties reported
Jan 21, 2015, 07.29 AM IST
Police and disaster management officials have reached the incident site at Gautampuri. A search and rescue operation is being carried out. (Demonstrative photo)
The incident took place around 3am in lane number 2 of the Gautampuri locality of the area which is an unauthorized colony.
Officials confirmed that there were no casualties.
The house was a decade old and cracks had developed in the walls of late, neighbours said.
A family of five members, living on the top floor, had a miraculous escape as they manage to come out of the rubbled safely.
Around 12 fire tenders were rushed to the spot apart from the police and disaster management authorities like NDRF and NDMA.
The locals played a crucial role in the rescue and clearing operation. The injured have been rushed to GTB and other nearby hospitals where they are undergoing treatment.
The police are registering an FIR of negligence and other relevant sections.
Jan 21, 2015
Starr DiGiacomo
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Parking-Deck-Collapse-Inj...
Parking Deck Collapse Injures Snowplow Driver in NJ
A snowplow operator in New jersey suffered minor injuries Saturday when the top deck of a parking garage he was plowing collapsed, officials said.
No one else was injured, but a car on the second level of the garage in Secaucus was destroyed.
Jan 25, 2015
Mark
Building collapse kills 1, injures 4 in Egypt
http://eprahaar.in/building-collapse-kills-1-injures-4-in-egypt/
Following the incident, security forces and rescue teams rushed to the spot and were searching for possible survivors trapped under the debris, medical sources said, adding that the injured include a child.
The cause behind yesterday’s collapse was being ascertained.
Incidents of building collapse are said to be common in Egypt due to illegal extensions and failure to adopt proper construction guidelines.
Last year, 19 people were killed and eight others injured when an eight-storey building collapsed in country’s Matariya district apparently due to illegal construction.
Jan 25, 2015