Heavy rains trigger partial building collapse in Old City

A building partially collapsed on the 200 block of Market Street in Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood early Friday morning.

The collapse sent bricks and other debris crashing down onto a parked car and caved in a nearby manhole. A pile of rubble was left blocking the entrance to a bridal salon on the first floor of the building.

The five-story building, which also is home to several residential units, was left with a yawning hole on the upper floor.

“I was a block away, and it sounded like a car crash,” eyewitness Zach Bergman told Fox 29.

Market Street is a popular commercial strip in the historic area, but no pedestrian injuries were reported.

The structure does not appear to have had any recent code violations. Fire officials blamed the collapse on a recent spate of heavy rain that weakened the structure’s cornice.