MORRIS HEIGHTS, the Bronx (PIX11) – A Bronx mother and daughter “lost everything” when their bedroom was destroyed in the partial building collapse on Monday, according to their family.
The Vargas family of six has been unable to retrieve their belongings from their apartment at 1915 Billingsley Terrace in Morris Heights after a corner of the seven-story building collapsed Monday afternoon.
“We’ve been living in our apartment on the 3rd floor for more than 20 years and due to the collapse our daughter and her 2-year-old baby have lost everything. Their bedroom was affected and destroyed during the collapse of the building,” said Sharlene Vargas, who started a GoFundMe fundraiser to help her family recover.
The family is seeking any type of donations, including diapers, baby wipes, shoes, clothes and coats.
“We’re more than grateful for any assistance our community can provide. Thank you all so much! Please continue to keep our family and those who were affected in prayer!” Vargas said in the GoFundMe.
The Vargas family is among the many residents of the apartment building who are now displaced. Fortunately, no one was killed in the collapse.
Residents won’t be able to retrieve their belongings from their apartments until emergency demolition work is completed, according to the New York City Department of Buildings. Officials did not say exactly when that will be.
Norma Arias, a retired teacher who lives in the building, told PIX11 News she is desperate to retrieve her medicine from her apartment.
More than 150 residents of the building have received emergency assistance from the Red Cross. A relief center has been set up nearby at Bronx Community College.
“We’re just all displaced right now. A lot of us are going to Brooklyn, Staten Island, hotels. It’s just very inconvenient, especially when you have kids,” said Raza, a displaced resident.
The apartment building has a history of violations and pending fines, according to city records.
The building was subject to recent complaints about potentially dangerous scaffolding set up for facade work, city records showed. The complaints included neighborhood concerns about unsafe work back in August. However, city inspectors found nothing wrong at the time.
Just a month ago, unsafe scaffolding was confirmed by city inspectors and there was a pending $2400 fine, according to city inspection records. The same records showed that the problem was not rectified two weeks later.
It’s currently unknown whether the ongoing facade and scaffolding issues caused the collapse. The Department of Buildings is still investigating.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.
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