Wall partially collapses in Bridgeport building, no one injured

FOX 32 NEWS - High winds may be partly to blame for a partial building collapse in Bridgeport Wednesday night.

“We heard this loud noise and I thought it was thunder because it's raining and everything, then my daughter came out of the room and she said she thought it sounded like somebody crashed,” said neighbor Lynn Rodriguez.

But it wasn't somebody, but something that crashed, a load of bricks from the facade of the building at 3433 South Emerald that came crashing down on the sidewalk.

Fortunately, because of the nasty weather blowing through at the time no one was outside the building and so there were no injuries.

But it's a building that neighbors have worried about for quite a while because the facade is visibly leaning away from the front of it. Rodriguez said she thought it was only a matter of time.

“Oh yeah absolutely, everybody did. Just the right wind and eventually it would've happened,” she said.

The building department was on the scene and a contractor was called in to secure the remaining bricks.

Until then the people who live in the four apartments will not be allowed back in. A city bus was brought in so they had a place to get out of the rain, at least temporarily. They declined to comment.

Rodriguez said it was very fortunate that no one was hurt.

“If it was a warmer day and people were outside and there was wind and everything it could've been disastrous and tragic.”