Nearly 100 residents evacuated after retaining wall partially collapses in Washington Heights

A retaining wall collapse destroyed three Washington Heights apartment units and caused a temporary evacuation of nearly 100 residents in two buildings early this morning, officials said.

The aged wall between 67 Pinehurst Avenue and 81 Cabrini Boulevard crumbled at 4:27 a.m., an FDNY spokesman said.

A drencher of a storm on Friday and early Saturday morning likely contributed to the fall of the structure, officials believed.

It happened in the blink of an eye, said Earl Martin, 19, who heard a grumbling sound when it happened.

It was a lot of rumblings and shaking like it was an earthquake. The wall just came down, he said.

Seth Gottfried

A wall collapsed in Washington Heights this morning, forcing the evacuation of nearly 75 residents.

He felt thankful to be awake, he said.

If I [were] sleeping, I would have died, he added. Theres so much glass and brick and debris everywhere. I would have been buried. Im so lucky. Im counting my blessings.

He grabbed his grandma, he said, and helped her out of their first floor apartment.

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Nearly 100 residents evacuated after retaining wall partially collapses in Washington Heights