Hawthorne, NJ apartment building partially collapses, displaces 10

🚧 A two-story apartment building partially collapsed

🚧 Water damage from recent storms appears to have played a role

🚧 New law aims to protect vulnerable residential structures

HAWTHORNE — Ten people have been temporarily displaced after an apartment building partially collapsed Sunday morning.

A masonry wall on the the first floor inside the residence at the Hawthorne Gardens apartment complex on Rock Road collapsed around 8:45 a.m., according to Hawthorne police Capt. Robert King.

First responders swarmed the scene. There were no injuries but nine people were taken to the Hawthorne Ambulance Corps Building, NorthJersey.com reported.

Three cats and three dogs at the complex were also taken to the corps building.

Water damage causes partial collapse

Fire Chief Joseph Speranza said to NorthJersey.com that ground saturation from recent storms caused water damage to the building.

An engineer would need to evaluate the structure to determine if it can be saved.

New law aims to protect vulnerable residential structures

A bill signed by Gov. Phil Murphy this month would require more thorough inspections of condominiums and housing cooperatives for signs of possible collapses.

The residential buildings would have to be inspected every five years.

The legislation was inspired by the June 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers in Surfside, Florida that resulted in the deaths of 98 people.

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