Part Of Building Collapses In Boston's South End

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    Neighbors say they heard the five-story brick building collapse Wednesday night.
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    Neighbors say they heard the five-story brick building collapse Wednesday night.
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    Neighbors say they heard the five-story brick building collapse Wednesday night.
  • 4 of 7
    Neighbors say they heard the five-story brick building collapse Wednesday night.
  • 5 of 7
    Neighbors say they heard the five-story brick building collapse Wednesday night.
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    Neighbors say they heard the five-story brick building collapse Wednesday night.
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    Neighbors say they heard the five-story brick building collapse Wednesday night.

(James Rojas)

BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — The fire escapes and part of a brick building on Upton Street in South End collapsed Wednesday night, according to Boston Fire Department.

The five-story building located near Tremont has been vacant for about 20 years and Boston Fire believes the building was susceptible to falling apart after years of rain coming in and freezing repeatedly.

Large pieces of brick and glass fell down off the wall—some of the debris hit a Sedan parked below. Five people living in nearby buildings were forced to leave their apartments as a precaution.

Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn said he was thankful nobody was hurt.

"It was a serious situation, someone could have been hurt or even killed," Flynn said. "We're lucky on this. It just goes to show you that any time of construction project also has its hazards, and public safety has to be the most important criteria."

Jenny, who lives a few blocks away from the building, says the building has been a concern of hers for a while.

"Of course you see the 'condemned' sign in the window and you know if like a fire starts, no one can go in there," Jenny said. "And the kind of damage it could spread across is kind of scary."

Although she did not recognize it at first, Jenny heard the beginning sounds of the collapse.

"Rattling by, but like really fast, and then there was nothing," Jenny said. "It was one single sound, it didn't even occur to me that it was something happening to one of the buildings."

Now, guardrails and fire escapes from three stories are barely still hanging off the building.

Jay lives a few units away from the abandoned building. He says he also heard what happened late at night.

"I heard a loud, rumbling noise last night around 11 or 10, and it felt like big hurricane winds against our windows," Jay said.

Although no one was hurt, five people who live on either side of the collapsed building have been forced to evacuate.

WBZ NewsRadio's James Rojas (@JamesRojasWBZ) reports

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