Inspectors from Philadelphia’s Licenses and Inspections Department are keeping a close eye on a building in Northern Liberties that is in danger of collapsing at any moment. One wall caved in on the ground floor of 727 N. 2nd St. around 4 a.m. Thursday, trapping three people inside a third floor apartment.
“We thought it was an earthquake,” said Steven Westbrook, who was asleep when the collapse happened. “The apartment started to shift and then the floor dropped.”
The first and second floors were vacant.
“Once we realized that we couldn’t get out of the apartment, we just did what the police said, stay close to the wall, he still and stay as calm as possible,” he said.
Firefighters arrived within minutes of the 911 call to get the two men and one woman out.