SHAMOKIN --- An emergency! That's what Shamokin's Mayor calls a building collapse in his community. Heavy rains are being blamed for the mess
Looking at the front of the empty double block home in Shamokin and the only thing you notice are the condemned signs in the windows. But at the back of the structure roofis almost at street level. Early Monday morning the building on West Spruce Street collapsed.
Neighbor Kelly Lynch said it awakened her from a sound sleep.
"Heard a loud crash and I knew and I knew the house had fallen, it's been a matter of time ."Neighbor Elaine Kramer said she's worried. The building is leaning into her house.
"This was my concern that it would fall on someone and kill someone. It's actually touching the side of my house and I said I am really lucky it didn't come through my windows or something, it's just luck!." Kramer explained.
Mayor George Rozinskie said he believes recent rains aggravated a bad situation and triggered the collapse.
"Well it`s an emergency situation i wasn't aware that it was so bad. We`re doing everything possible to get it taken down right now."
Code Enforcement Officer Rick Bozza said the condemned building is so close to Elaine Kramer's home demolition crews will have to be careful.
"We talked to numerous contractors and they're feeling peel the top floor off by hand and then bring the heavy machinery in ."
City officials say there is a lot of red tape to go through and it could be a week before this building is torn down.