‘A big noise.’ Brick façade collapses at North Bergen apartment building; no injuries

Geo Hernandez, one of the tenants in the building, says he heard a long bang around 10:30 p.m.

Lanette Espy and Ali Reid

Apr 4, 2024, 1:12 PM

Updated 266 days ago

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A brick facade in North Bergen collapsed Wednesday night - leaving multiple families without power, debris scattered across sidewalks in the area and at least four cars heavily damaged.
News 12 New Jersey was told that there were about 20 residents in the building. No one was injured.
Officials have now deemed the building safe for residents to stay inside. But this incident has left many residents questioning how something like this could happen and wondering what’s next.
More than seven apartments in the complex are still without power Thursday afternoon.
Geo Hernandez, one of the tenants in the building, says he heard a long bang around 10:30 p.m. He says tenants in the building are without heat and hot water.
Hernandez described it like a crash and said it was “a big noise.” He says he was afraid to step outside because he felt the building was going to fall down.
Watch below as News 12's Ali Reid interviews Geo Hernandez:
“We heard the first noise, really strong. I didn’t pay attention because I thought it was thunder. But then a few minutes later, we heard the second one. It was stronger. When I opened the door, it was a big surprise that the bricks were on the floor,” Hernandez told News 12.
“You’d never think that a windstorm in April would blow off the side of a brick house,” said Paul Donnelly, who lives across the street from the complex.