A house abruptly collapsed in Syracuse, New York this Tuesday, and Syracuse officials reported that at least 11 people have been injured. So far, no casualties have been reported out of the 13 total people accounted for in the home.
The Syracuse Fire Department responded to several emergency calls of reports of what nearby residents claimed sounded like an explosion, which came from a two-story house, around 4 p.m. Syracuse Fire Chief Michael Monds reported the information to ABC reporters on the scene. Chief Monds stated that firefighters arrived on the catastrophic scene to see the majority of the victims in the front part of the yard. Chief Monds stated that one youth victim had to be pulled out of a vehicle on the property that had been buried in the rubble of the collapsed house. The victims of the catastrophe were all residents of the home. The victims ranged from a mix of children and adults. All the victims were taken to the Upstate University Hospital, which is located in south Syracuse. Chief Monds stated that two of the victims were in severe condition. Officials from the Syracuse Fire Department noted to the outlet, The Post Standard, that all 13 residents of the collapsed home were accounted for as of Tuesday evening.
Chief Monds also stated that fire department officials will be investigating what caused the horrific collapse of the home. Monds stated that the house’s construction dates back to 1920, making the house over 100 years old. Monds further explained that when firefighters arrived on the scene, they noticed multiple downed powerlines near the house, as well as a heavy natural gas odor coming from the remains of the house.
It was reported by Monds that more than 50 firefighters responded to the collapsed house and had to be rotated in who went into the scene of the house due to the extreme heat in the area.
