UPDATE: Six deaths have been confirmed, and a 61-year-old woman was recovered alive late last night.
A building collapsed in downtown Philadelphia, and authorities say as many as 10 people may be buried in the rubble. At least a dozen people have been rescued so far, eyewitnesses tell NBC, with at least two being taken away in stretchers. Rescue teams are frantically searching through debris. The neighboring four-story building was under demolition, according to fire officials. Market Street is closed from 20th to 23rd while paramedics and fire crews search the area.
A building in downtown Philadelphia has collapsed and authorities have rescued twelve people and believe at least two remain trapped beneath the rubble and a frantic search continues to locate them.
“I was parked on 21st just heading to Market Street, next thing you know it felt like an earthquake," said Bernie Ditomo, a truck driver with Belfi Brothers. "I said, 'What the hell is going on?' My truck is totaled. I am a little dusty and dirty, but I’m alright. I am one of the lucky ones.”
The collapse at 2140 Market Street happened around 10:40 a.m., and early reports from Philadelphia Police indicate that it may be the results of an industrial accident as construction crews were working on nearby structures.
A neighborhood message board reports that one of the victims was a young woman who got engaged last week. It was her first day of work at the Salvation Army.
A Reddit reader reported that he'd made a complaint to the city's 311 call center on Tuesday to report unsafe conditions at the demo site, but the city didn't check into it because he didn't know the property's exact address. He contacted the center again after the collapse, saying they didn't stop that tragedy but that similar conditions existed at another nearby demolition site.
The intake worker's response? They needed the exact address.
The video below shows demolition work on the building Sunday afternoon:
