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Wilmington Parking Garage Wall Collapse Causes Significant Damage
A cinderblock wall collapsed at a multi-story parking garage in Wilmington on Monday morning, leading to considerable damages to at least four adjacent structures, according to the Wilmington Fire Department.
As of early afternoon, no injuries had been reported. The New Castle County urban search and rescue team was actively searching the vicinity to confirm that no individuals were trapped within the collapsed buildings, as detailed by Battalion Chief Robert Pryor of the fire department.
The incident occurred just before noon at the HyPark Garage, where three stories’ worth of cinderblock debris fell onto the rear of buildings located in the 100 block of W. 9th St. The garage stretches across the 900 block between N. Orange and N. Shipley streets.
Immediately following the collapse, flames erupted on the roof of one building due to a broken gas line linked to a heater; however, firefighters managed to extinguish the fire swiftly, according to Pryor.
While the search operations are ongoing, officials from Wilmington’s Department of Licenses and Inspections are preparing to conduct a structural evaluation of the damaged buildings. This assessment is expected to take some time to complete.
Pryor also mentioned that several streets and sidewalks in the vicinity are closed, including N. Orange Street at Burton Place and N. Shipley Street at 10th Street.
As of approximately 1:30 p.m., firefighters were positioned at the intersection of 9th and Orange Streets, utilizing a ladder truck to gain access to the affected buildings. They could be seen entering places where the wall had collapsed.
Firefighters on N. Shipley Street were also spotted working on ladders to survey the damage from above.
Many structures on the block appeared to be unoccupied, with “for sale” signs visible in their windows, despite business names still displayed on their awnings.
Among the closed establishments was Solid Gold Jewelers, previously the scene of a violent robbery involving Calvin Ushery in September 2022. Ushery was sentenced for the attack, which involved assaulting the owner before committing the robbery.
Witnesses reported that several individuals inside the parking garage were observing firefighters as they addressed the aftermath of the collapse.
Pryor expressed relief that the incident occurred on a holiday, which resulted in less pedestrian and vehicular traffic in the area.
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The investigation to determine the cause of the collapse is set to be conducted by an engineer from the city’s licensing and inspections department.
By around 2:15 p.m., some fire units were seen departing the scene. Debris remained on the sidewalk in the 900 block of N. Orange St., though no damage to vehicles parked across the street was evident.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow as more information becomes available.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: ‘Significant’ damage to 4 Wilmington buildings as garage wall collapses
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