A Bronx apartment block was plagued by building violations for years. This week it collapsed

The almost 100-year-old building had been the subject of a multitude of complaints and violations over the years – prior to Monday’s collapse. Amelia Neath reports

First responders stand at the scene of a collapsed building in the Bronx (AP)

Over 100 people have found themselves unexpectedly homeless after their apartment building in the Bronx partially collapsed.

But, somewhat miraculously, no one was killed or seriously injured.

The building, which contains roughly four dozen apartments, was having facade work done as recently as a few days ago.

Then, on Monday, a whole corner of the building collapsed out of nowhere, exposing apartments and creating a massive pile of debris on the street below.

No cause has yet been given by officials for the collapse, but records show that the almost 100-year-old building has been the subject of a multitude of complaints and violations over the years, many of which are still open.

Here’s what we know so far about the collapsed Bronx building:

What happened?

At around 3.30pm on Monday, a seven-storey residential building at 1915 Billingsley Terrace in the Bronx partially collapsed, bringing down the walls of several apartments and exposing their interiors, New York officials confirmed at a press conference the same day.

Firefighters assembling at the scene of a collapsed building in the Bronx (AP)

Footage from the scene shows the building in Morris Heights with a whole corner missing after the structure collapsed onto the street.

Several apartments are seen angled downwards, with a massive pile of furniture, rubble and debris next to the exposed building. Large poles were also among the rublle from the scaffolding that had been erected around the building.

Norma Arias, who lives on the first floor of the building, told The New York Times that she had just returned from shopping at the local bodega when she heard a loud boom.

Then a neighbour came running down the hallway screaming: “Everybody get out. The building is coming down.”

She said she grabbed her passport and identification card and ran out of the collapsing building.

“I almost died in that collapse,” Ms Arias said.

A local deli worker, Julian Rodriguez, said he was behind the counter when he heard a melee outside.

Apartments were left exposed after the collapse (AP)

“When I went outside, all you could see is the debris and a smoke cloud in the street,” he told AP.

“And you could see inside the structure: people’s beds, their doors, closets, lights, everything. It was really scary.”

Searching through the debris

FDNY officials said at a press conference on Monday that emergency responders got to the scene within a minute and a half of when the building’s corner cascaded off the side.

Immediately, rescue teams started to search for signs of life within the vast 12-foot pile of rubble.

Power and gas were shut off in the building, and the NYPD cordoned off the area.

A K9 dog unit was deployed to the scene, with the dogs seen sniffing through the huge pile of debris.

FDNY Chief John Hodgens said the first priority was to look through every area within the rubble to make sure no victims were trapped underneath.

“We immediately vacated, evacuated the building, got all the residents out and started to concentrate on the debris pile in front of the building, working that and trying to search for any victims,” he said at the press conference.

Were there any victims?

The FDNY searched the rubble for hours with Chief Hodgens describing the search as “tunnelling” through the debris pile to see if anyone was trapped.

Officers were at the scene where a huge pile of rubble accumulated on the street (AP)

FDNY commissioner Laura Kavanagh announced on X that, luckily, no one was killed or seriously injured in the incident.

“Miraculously, no one was severely injured at the partial building collapse… From looking at the scene and surveillance footage, it could have been so much worse,” she said.

Two people sustained minor injuries while evacuating the building, the fire department said.

While residents escaped unscathed, they were left shaken by the experience – and even those whose apartments were not affected are not willing to return to the building.

Sniffer dogs were used to help find any potential victims (AP)

What caused the collapse?

The cause of the building’s collapse is yet to come to light, but officials have revealed that the building was not up to standard and had a series of violations to its name.

The building was built in 1927 and is seven stories, which means it falls under the jurisdiction of facade law in New York City.

Department of Buildings Commissioner Janes Oddo said at Monday’s press conference that the most recent building report, submitted by the owners in March 2021, found seven unsafe facade conditions, such as mortar that was deteriorating and cracked bricks.

There have also been seven violations on the building, but no structural violations. Instead, the violations were to do with the sidewalk shed and proper lighting, amongst other things.

In a summons obtained by NBC New York, the building’s owners were warned by an inspector as recently as 3 November that they were concerned with deteriorated and broken mudsills on the sidewalk shed.

One vertical member that was missing a mudsill could “compromise the structural stability causing a potential collapse,” the inspector warned.

In 2020, an inspection also found cracked bricks and loose mortar on the building’s facade, deeming it “unsafe”, according to New York’s Buildings Department records.

Mr Oddo also confirmed that work was being done to the facade of the building as recently as a few days ago, but said that no one was believed to be working on the building on Monday.

At the press conference, officials were asked about claims that someone was seen drilling into the facade on the side of the building, which then cracked and, a few seconds later, started to give way.

Firefighters worked for hours to search through every bit of rubble (AP)

“Can’t tell you much more. Certainly can’t speak to what the drilling is, don’t know what it’s about. Again, we’re taking a look at the drawings that they submitted as part of the permit. And I want to be clear: unsafe facade conditions are not the same as an unsafe building.” Mr Oddo said.

The building has had 178 complaints in the last two years, with 103 violations which are open, some dating back to 2019, according to the New York City Housing Preservation and Development website.

Maridelsa Fana, a resident on the third floor of the apartment building, told The New York Times that other residents have been complaining about the state of the building for years.

“People said this place is going to fall apart piece by piece,” Ms Fana said. “But no one imagined this.”

She told the outlet she thinks her apartment was undamaged, but she does not want to go back in there.

“No one is going to want to stay there now,” she said. “No one is going to want to sleep there.”

The HPD’s website shows the building is owned by a liability litigation company, 1915 Realty, which bought the building in 2004 for $3m.

The apartment building has had many violations in the past (AP)

What happens now?

More than 100 building residents have been unexpectedly displaced two weeks before the Christmas holidays.

Displaced residents were told to head over to a Red Cross service centre at a local public school on Monday, where they were given a place to stay for the night.

They have also been given access to “warming buses” by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

And the Red Cross has provided 37 households and around 138 people with emergency assistance and meals, according to ABC7.

New York’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development is carrying out a preliminary investigation into the partial building collapse.