6 dead, 14 injured as leaders promise full investigation into Philadelphia building collapse

Six people were killed and 14 injured an after a Salvation Army thrift store building collapsed in central Philadelphia on Wednesday.

A neighboring building was in the process of being demolished, when one of its walls suddenly gave way, sending bricks, wood, concrete and cinder blocks onto the Salvation Army store.

Elizabeth Fiedler, a reporter at WHYY, said there’s a somber feeling in Philadelphia in the wake of the tragedy. But even with sadness, there have been high notes. A survivor was pulled from the rubble late Wednesday night, some 12 hours after the building collapsed.

“A lot of people here are … talking about that it’s a miracle that a woman was pulled out of the rubble, out of what looked like quite a terrible scene,” Fiedler said.

But questions remain, Fiedler said, about the choice to leave the thrift store open during demolition, as well as the contractor chosen to handle the demolition. Fiedler said witnesses told her something just seemed off about how it was being handled.

The mayor promised a full investigation by the city and OSHA in the days and weeks to come.

“We’ll see if there was something that could have prevented this tragedy or if, perhaps, they will implement new regulations,” Fiedler said.

Philadelphia is an historic city, old by American standards, which brings its own challenges. Certainly, Fiedler says, as the push to renovate old buildings continues, this is something that will need to be dealt with.

“I think it’s going to come out in the investigations, exactly whether this was preventable or if there are other steps we should take in the future,” she said.