Roads closed in the area
NEWARK -- A partial collapse at an abandoned building littered the sidewalk with debris and brought a response from emergency services Tuesday in the city.
Firefighters were working at the scene around 6 p.m. at 15th Avenue and South 8th Street. City police blocked roads in the immediate area.
The roof of the three-story building caved in and the sidewalk below was covered with bricks and other building debris. It was not immediately clear what caused the collapse.
Newark Fire Chief John G. Centanni said the "boarded up," city-owned building will be partially taken down this evening.
"We have demolition in route to take the building down to a safe level and the rest of the building will be demolished at a later time," the chief said on scene.
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While no one was seriously harmed during the collapse, the fire department received some reports of minor injuries, such as a rolled ankle, Centanni said.
Jopetia Garretson, 36, who says she saw the building collapse while walking on the other side of South 8th Street, said the building has been abandoned for at least 15 years.
She said a couple of days ago, several bricks fell off the structure while she was walking by, causing her 11-year-old daughter to fall to the ground.
Her daughter, who watched as firefighters gathered at the scene behind the police tape today, is now on crouches because her right knee and ankle are "like really messed up," Garretson said.
"It's just sad that places in this part of Newark get neglected," she said, adding that elderly people live across the street from the abandoned building. "It's really upsetting."
Staff writer Luke Nozicka contributed to this report.
Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.