Philly building deemed ‘imminently dangerous' days before collapse

A building partially collapsed in Philadelphia’s Germantown neighborhood one week after it was considered “imminently dangerous,” officials said.

The collapse occurred on the 100 block Hansberry Street shortly before 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

NBC10 later obtained Ring camera video that captured part of the collapse.

“People could have been walking by,” Teasha Joyner, a resident who witnessed the collapse, told NBC10. “My daughters could have been coming home from school. Anything could have been happening.”

Neighbors told NBC10 the building that partially collapsed was vacant and had been an issue for a long time, with some residents frequently reporting it to 311.

According to city records, Licenses & Inspections (L&I) inspected the property on Dec. 29, 2025, and deemed it “imminently dangerous” two days later on Dec. 31.

Records show the building’s owner was told to fix the property by Jan. 9, 2026. Records also show several other violations for the property over the last few years.

Both firefighters and Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) employees responded to the building.

The building was demolished by a contractor on Jan. 8 and the city is planning to inspect it again on Friday, officials said.

Officials said that two people were taken to a nearby hospital after they were seen on camera approaching the property and getting very close to the debris.