Feb. 02--NEWPORT NEWS -- A three-story building in the 200 block of 23rd St., behind City Hall, collapsed on Saturday night and has been condemned.
Shortly before 8 p.m., a police officer putting fuel in his vehicle at the city gas pumps heard a loud crashing sound and discovered the building across from the fuel pumps had just collapsed, according to a news release from the Fire Department.
When fire and rescue crews arrived a few minutes later, they discovered that the roof of the building had collapsed onto the third floor, which then dropped down onto the second floor of the commercial building. The front wall of the building fell into the parking area in front of the building and left a massive hole.
Crews were not sent into the building because it was considered too dangerous. The area was cordoned off and a ladder truck with a bucket was set up so that crews could survey the damage from above, the news release said.
No injuries were reported. The building had been empty for some time, according to Battalion Chief Steve Pincus.
Utilities to the building were shut off and it was condemned. It is likely the building will have to be torn down.
The cause of the collapse is unknown, but officials believe heavy snow and rain were contributing factors.
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