Moisture caused Grays Ferry house collapse
Moisture in a foundation wall caused the collapse of a house in Grays Ferry over the weekend, a spokeswoman with the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections says.
Moisture in a foundation wall caused the collapse of a house in Grays Ferry over the weekend, a spokeswoman with the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections says.
The two-story corner property, at Patton and Reed Streets, flattened at about 7:40 a.m. Saturday, sending one man who lived there to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center.
Karen Guss, a spokeswoman for the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections, said in an email that the collapse of the property at 1401 South Patton Street was caused by a "sudden failure of the stone foundation wall along Reed Street ... resulting from moisture infiltration over a prolonged period of time."
L&I has arranged for a specially certified contractor to clean up the area and secure the site.
The property has a barbershop on the first floor, though it was not clear if it was still operating, and a residence on the second floor, Guss said.
Anthony Tornetta, a spokesman for the American Red Cross, said the organization helped two people who lived in the house on Saturday with food, shelter and clothing. It was not immediately clear if one of those two people was the man who was sent to the hospital.
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