
Dash Cam and Surveillance Video Capture Building Collapse in New Orleans
Dash cam and surveillance footage are giving us a real-time view of the dramatic moment a vacant building collapsed at the corner of Magazine and Felicity Streets in New Orleans' Lower Garden District on Monday evening.
According to FOX 8, the two-story structure, which formerly housed Inlow Guitars, partially collapsed at approximately 5:45 p.m., sending bricks, timber, and glass cascading onto the busy street below. The New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD) quickly responded, dispatching seven companies with 25 firefighters who arrived on the scene within five minutes.
Video from nearby vehicles and businesses captured the instant debris spilled onto the sidewalk and a parked car below, leaving the area covered in rubble. Witnesses reported seeing a flash of light at the time of the collapse, which was later confirmed by Entergy New Orleans to have been caused by a damaged transformer.
"The transformer was impacted by the building collapse but was not the cause of it," an Entergy spokesperson clarified. Power to the surrounding neighborhood was cut off during inspections, affecting local businesses, including the nearby restaurant Gris-Gris, which announced a temporary closure due to partial power loss.
Officials with the NOFD and city Safety and Permits are investigating the cause of the collapse. Capt. Quentin Brown stated that inspectors are determining whether the structure can be salvaged or requires demolition.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, as the building was vacant at the time. However, the intersection remains closed to pedestrian and vehicle traffic and is expected to stay that way through at least Tuesday afternoon.
This collapse follows a similar incident earlier this month when a three-story building in the Central Business District partially fell, disrupting traffic and nearby businesses. The incidents have prompted heightened scrutiny of aging structures in the city.
Residents are urged to avoid the area as crews work to secure the site and restore power to affected areas.
See the latest updates here via FOX 8.
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Gallery Credit: KATELYN LEBOFF