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CNN Live Sunday

Deadly Chicago Porch Collapse Kills 12, Injures 57

Aired June 29, 2003 - 16:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: First up, anguish and disbelief in Chicago after an overcrowded apartment porch collapsed early this morning. At least a dozen partygoers are dead, and 57 are injured. The apartment building is located in an upscale north side Chicago neighborhood near Wrigley Field. Our Jeff Flock is there and joins us with the latest on that investigation. Jeff?
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I take to you a live picture of city workers now beginning to tear down what had been left of the back porches of this apartment building. Perhaps you see a grappling hook that's been attached to a piece of heavy equipment. They're beginning to tear it down because they don't feel it's structurally safe.

That of course may be a whole another question. It may not have been structurally safe to start with. Let's take you back to last night and the picture. What happened was this -- partygoers on multiple levels of this back porch -- I wish we'd seen that come down live. Sorry about that. But you perhaps heard, if you didn't at least see, the picture of this porch being completely ripped down.

It was this that collapsed last night. The top floor of it pancaking down on the second level, and then to the basement. There were partygoers on all levels, primarily the first two, and about 50 perhaps on each level. It was the people in between who were most harmed. We spoke to many of them that were here, both watching as well as one woman who was actually on the top level when it gave way. Her name is Natalie. And she said there was absolutely no warning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just collapsed. It was just like completely gave out from under us.

FLOCK: Do you know how many people were on the deck?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It seems like a lot to me. The deck -- both decks were completely packed, that it was difficult to walk through. I guess that probably wasn't the best idea, but.

FLOCK: No, indeed. Probably not the best idea. Perhaps, we come back to our live picture here, as you see this porch being completely, completely smashed now. It will be hauled away shortly. I talked just a bit ago to the Chicago building inspector.

Obviously, a lot of people wondering, in addition to the lack of wisdom, perhaps, of having too many people on the porch decks to start with, what about the potential that there was some sort of structural flaw in the construction of this porch deck? A lot of people have questioned the way it was built, the way the sill plates pulled away from the facing of the building.

Some people, who have knowledge of construction, suggesting that it perhaps was not constructed in the best fashion. The Chicago building -- the building commissioner was not willing to go quite that far, but she did say that people need to be cautious about being on their back porch decks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NORMA REYES, CITY OF CHICAGO BUILDING COMMISSION: I have to remind people, porches are for egress and ingress. They're for coming in and out. As we said in May when we sent out our press release, please be careful, please be cautious. The buildings are not made for large assemblies and parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLOCK: We're standing out of the way here right now because we're trying to let -- if you can see the scene, there are a number of cameras trying to capture the complete demise of this porch deck back behind me, and we leave you perhaps with that picture. Obviously, this investigation will continue. A lot of porches in Chicago. A lot of people concerned about potential flaws. We don't want to see this happen again. That's the latest from Chicago. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Now, Jeff, I understand that investigators have located the owner of that apartment building out of town, but what about the builder of that apartment building as well?

FLOCK: At this point they do not know who built the deck. We asked specifically about the building permit. They do not know if a building permit was issued. I think it's probably not going to come as a surprise to some people that there are times people put up things like porch decks and they don't go to the trouble of getting a building permit.

Whether or not there was one in this case or not, at this point we don't know. But, if in fact, that turns out to be the case or if perhaps there was an inspection problem, I think when the superintendent says this was a crime scene now because of the deaths involved, it may turn into a real crime scene.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jeff Flock in Chicago. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired June 29, 2003 - 16:00   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: First up, anguish and disbelief in Chicago after an overcrowded apartment porch collapsed early this morning. At least a dozen partygoers are dead, and 57 are injured. The apartment building is located in an upscale north side Chicago neighborhood near Wrigley Field. Our Jeff Flock is there and joins us with the latest on that investigation. Jeff?
JEFF FLOCK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I take to you a live picture of city workers now beginning to tear down what had been left of the back porches of this apartment building. Perhaps you see a grappling hook that's been attached to a piece of heavy equipment. They're beginning to tear it down because they don't feel it's structurally safe.

That of course may be a whole another question. It may not have been structurally safe to start with. Let's take you back to last night and the picture. What happened was this -- partygoers on multiple levels of this back porch -- I wish we'd seen that come down live. Sorry about that. But you perhaps heard, if you didn't at least see, the picture of this porch being completely ripped down.

It was this that collapsed last night. The top floor of it pancaking down on the second level, and then to the basement. There were partygoers on all levels, primarily the first two, and about 50 perhaps on each level. It was the people in between who were most harmed. We spoke to many of them that were here, both watching as well as one woman who was actually on the top level when it gave way. Her name is Natalie. And she said there was absolutely no warning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It just collapsed. It was just like completely gave out from under us.

FLOCK: Do you know how many people were on the deck?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It seems like a lot to me. The deck -- both decks were completely packed, that it was difficult to walk through. I guess that probably wasn't the best idea, but.

FLOCK: No, indeed. Probably not the best idea. Perhaps, we come back to our live picture here, as you see this porch being completely, completely smashed now. It will be hauled away shortly. I talked just a bit ago to the Chicago building inspector.

Obviously, a lot of people wondering, in addition to the lack of wisdom, perhaps, of having too many people on the porch decks to start with, what about the potential that there was some sort of structural flaw in the construction of this porch deck? A lot of people have questioned the way it was built, the way the sill plates pulled away from the facing of the building.

Some people, who have knowledge of construction, suggesting that it perhaps was not constructed in the best fashion. The Chicago building -- the building commissioner was not willing to go quite that far, but she did say that people need to be cautious about being on their back porch decks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NORMA REYES, CITY OF CHICAGO BUILDING COMMISSION: I have to remind people, porches are for egress and ingress. They're for coming in and out. As we said in May when we sent out our press release, please be careful, please be cautious. The buildings are not made for large assemblies and parties.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

FLOCK: We're standing out of the way here right now because we're trying to let -- if you can see the scene, there are a number of cameras trying to capture the complete demise of this porch deck back behind me, and we leave you perhaps with that picture. Obviously, this investigation will continue. A lot of porches in Chicago. A lot of people concerned about potential flaws. We don't want to see this happen again. That's the latest from Chicago. Back to you.

WHITFIELD: Now, Jeff, I understand that investigators have located the owner of that apartment building out of town, but what about the builder of that apartment building as well?

FLOCK: At this point they do not know who built the deck. We asked specifically about the building permit. They do not know if a building permit was issued. I think it's probably not going to come as a surprise to some people that there are times people put up things like porch decks and they don't go to the trouble of getting a building permit.

Whether or not there was one in this case or not, at this point we don't know. But, if in fact, that turns out to be the case or if perhaps there was an inspection problem, I think when the superintendent says this was a crime scene now because of the deaths involved, it may turn into a real crime scene.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jeff Flock in Chicago. Thanks very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com