Residents of a Worcester, Massachusetts, apartment building were allowed briefly to re-enter their apartments Friday evening after construction material crashed through at least two levels of apartment units.The incident happened just before 10:30 a.m. Friday at 267 Mill St. From Sky5, a large hole could be seen in the roof over a third-floor unit. Worcester Deputy Fire Chief Adam Roche said the exterior roof collapsed into a third-floor unit, which then collapsed into a second-floor unit. It is unclear if the collapse reached the first floor. Large packages of building materials, wheelbarrows and shovels were on the roof. Roche said he believed the materials, which were delivered Friday morning, were insulation panels. Roche said a crane will be brought in to remove the remaining panels. Charles Goodwin, director of emergency management for Worcester, said senior safety inspectors identified several areas that are still structurally unsound. “There was several pallets of some foam board, there was weight from some stone and other materials that were up there while they were working on replacing roof parts that ultimately, we believe, caused this collapse,” Goodwin said.Goodwin said workers spent Friday evening removing weight on the roof of the building, then finding areas that needed to be made structurally sound before people were allowed to enter the building again. One resident said she was in her bedroom, heard a noise and opened the door to her living room.”My whole apartment was in the apartment below me,” Rachel Storey said. “It was a like a sinkhole. I had to walk on the outskirts of the walls holding onto the walls so I wouldn’t fall through.”There are 32 apartments inside of the building, with close to 80 residents evacuated from the building. “Some of them have left the scene and found different places to go,” Goodwin said. “We’re working with those that didn’t have access to another place to go right now.””They’ll all have a place to stay tonight,” Goodwin said.
Residents of a Worcester, Massachusetts, apartment building were allowed briefly to re-enter their apartments Friday evening after construction material crashed through at least two levels of apartment units.
The incident happened just before 10:30 a.m. Friday at 267 Mill St.
From Sky5, a large hole could be seen in the roof over a third-floor unit. Worcester Deputy Fire Chief Adam Roche said the exterior roof collapsed into a third-floor unit, which then collapsed into a second-floor unit. It is unclear if the collapse reached the first floor.
Large packages of building materials, wheelbarrows and shovels were on the roof. Roche said he believed the materials, which were delivered Friday morning, were insulation panels. Roche said a crane will be brought in to remove the remaining panels.
Charles Goodwin, director of emergency management for Worcester, said senior safety inspectors identified several areas that are still structurally unsound.
“There was several pallets of some foam board, there was weight from some stone and other materials that were up there while they were working on replacing roof parts that ultimately, we believe, caused this collapse,” Goodwin said.
Goodwin said workers spent Friday evening removing weight on the roof of the building, then finding areas that needed to be made structurally sound before people were allowed to enter the building again.
One resident said she was in her bedroom, heard a noise and opened the door to her living room.
“My whole apartment was in the apartment below me,” Rachel Storey said. “It was a like a sinkhole. I had to walk on the outskirts of the walls holding onto the walls so I wouldn’t fall through.”
There are 32 apartments inside of the building, with close to 80 residents evacuated from the building.
“Some of them have left the scene and found different places to go,” Goodwin said. “We’re working with those that didn’t have access to another place to go right now.”
“They’ll all have a place to stay tonight,” Goodwin said.
