A building in Pittsburgh's Uptown neighborhood experienced a partial collapse on Wednesday afternoon, resulting in disruptions and concerns over surrounding structures. The incident occurred around 3 p.m., sending bricks and debris into the streets, and prompted Public Safety officials to advise drivers to avoid Fifth Avenue between Marion and Pride Streets for emergency demolition work, as reported by CBS News.
Marco Merante, who was inside his family's market at the time of the collapse, expressed his shock at the intensity of the event, recounting the fear that his own building was disintegrating, "I mean to tell you that was the scariest minute of my life. I legit thought a bomb was hitting the city, that’s how loud that was. Everything started shaking." The fall also generated a thick layer of dust on vehicles parked nearby leaving Travis Reed, a local employee, confused as to why his car was covered with dirt, as cited by WPXI.
Concerns grew regarding the possibility of individuals being inside the decrepit structures at the time of the disaster, leading to the deployment of drones by Allegheny County Police to confirm their absence. Fortunately, there were no reports of casualties. Pittsburgh Public Information Officer Emily Bourne, acknowledging the precarious state of the buildings, clarified they had been condemned prior to the catastrophe and were "certainly not a stable structure," as detailed by WPXI.
Despite escaping physical harm, Merante's business has been adversely affected, with the market under a temporary condemnation. The city awaits further inspections to determine the cause of the collapse and the future of the surrounding buildings, including the Merante Brothers Italian American Market.
