DANIA BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - The wall of a building in Dania Beach has partially collapsed.
The wall on the side of the building, located near North Federal Highway and Northwest First Street, could be seen hanging partially detached from the rest of the structure.
Traffic in the area was impacted for most of Thursday.
As of 10 p.m., Federal Highway northbound lanes were closed to traffic. Officials split the southbound lanes to allow traffic to flow in both directions.
According to Broward Sheriff’s Fire Rescue, construction workers on the lot adjacent to the building were clearing ground for a future building. While trenching the area next to the building, the south side wall collapsed.
“It was occupied at the time. However, everybody escaped without any injury,” said Broward Sheriff’s Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Michael Kane.
Although, rescuers did pull a small kitten from the rubble.
“The kitten was brought to one of our fire trucks and cooled down in the air condition, given water, and the kitten appears to be OK,” Kane said.
Follow up: No injuries or victims. One small kitten rescued from the rubble. pic.twitter.com/Mh5mFhJnNp
— Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) August 9, 2018
Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood fire departments also responded to the scene.
The Urban Rescue team was deployed to the scene, assessing the situation and looking into a way to bring the wall down safely.
Crews with rescue dogs by their side searched the rubble to make sure nobody else was inside.
The building was originally constructed in 1924, and it houses a jewelry store, a tea room and a boxing gym on the first floor, along with apartments on the second floor.
“I was taking a nap, and then I just heard a big boom, and then I heard the walls shaking inside my apartment,” said one resident.
The resident of another apartment said his girlfriend was in the bathroom just minutes before the wall slid away from the building.
“She was in the shower, and she almost died in there,” said the resident.
The woman, her boyfriend and baby all escaped without injuries.
Another woman who was working in one of the businesses said she heard the collapse.
“I was with my co-worker when, all of a sudden, we heard a tremble that kind of sounded like thunder, and the whole building shook,” said Lauren Harrison.
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