Eleven residents were forced to vacate their homes after a building on North Broad Street in Philadelphia's Logan neighborhood partially collapsed Wednesday afternoon, CBS Philadelphia reports. The collapse, which occurred around 2:30 p.m., affected two homes and left the residents without shelter.
Antoinette Cheatham, a resident of the building, heard a cracking sound immediately before the partial collapse, which led to the destruction of her dining room and kitchen; at the time, she was having a wall on the main floor repaired – a repair that was never completed and she and her husband, temporarily housed by their homeowner's insurance, are now waiting to learn of their future steps, according to CBS Philadelphia. Nate Bazzle, Cheatham's husband, came home from work to find the distressing scene but expressed relief that they were not injured in the collapse and Action News reported that the homeowner was shocked as she watched parts of her home fall but was thankful that she, her friend, and her dog survived unscathed.
The collapse, according to city officials cited by PHL17 news, happened on the side load-bearing wall of Cheatham's home and also impacted the adjoining property, causing both buildings to be deemed unsafe by Philadelphia's License & Inspections. In addition to the 11 individuals displaced, utilities have been disconnected, and an investigation into the cause of the collapse is ongoing.
Neighbors in the area, such as Aisha Pleasant, reported hearing a large noise reminiscent of a car accident when the building collapsed, reminding her of a similar incident a few years ago when another house in the same block met the same fate and now Cheatham and her family are staying in temporary housing while city officials have begun preparations for a demolition bid. Concurrently, Cheatham's cats remain unaccounted for amidst the devastation that unfolded and revealed, once again, the fragile veneer of solidity that our most intimate spaces – our homes – present to us, yet Cheatham holds onto a perspective of gratitude, having escaped physical harm.
