Jul 12, 2008 12:25 pm US/Central
Crews At Scene Of Building Collapse on SW Side
CHICAGO (STNG) ―
Emergency crews remain at the scene of a collapse in a Southwest Side apartment building Saturday morning.
Police and fire responded to the building in the 2900 block of West 63rd Street about 10:40 a.m., according to a Chicago Lawn District sergeant.
The collapse happened in a two-story brick building, with apartments in the front and a garage area in the back, according to Fire Media Affairs Director Larry Langford, who said the collapse happened in the garage area.
"It's an older construction with concrete roofs and several sections of that roof failed," Langford said.
Emergency crews have set up a collapse zone using remote cameras to peer into the building under debris to ensure no one else is in the building, Langford said.
Although crews were told that all people were accounted for, some people are known to squat in the building, Langford said.
Firefighters are using poles about 20-feet-long with cameras attached to peer into the building under the debris, Langford said.
"It's a lot safer than taking a peek in," Langford said.
Langford said the collapse could be due to concrete and metal fatigue, coupled by water from storms.
As of 11:20 a.m., there were no reports of injuries.
The collapse is causing interrupted traffic on 63rd Street as crews work around the building.
(Source: Sun-Times News Group Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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