What to Know
- Two people were injured when the facade of Common Ground and its neighboring buildings in Brighton collapsed onto the sidewalk.
- Everyone who was inside the restaurant has been evacuated, according to officials.
- Officials warn there is heavy traffic in the area of Harvard Avenue due to the emergency response.
According to officials, two people have been injured after the facade of Common Ground, a restaurant on Harvard Avenue in Boston's Allston neighborhood, and its neighboring buildings collapsed onto the sidewalk.
One female victim was transported to the hospital with critical injuries. Witnesses say she sustained serious head injuries.
"When the roof came on top of them, I started calling 911," one witness said.
The second victim, a male, did not need medical attention for his injuries but went to the hospital with the other victim. The two appear to have been connected, Deputy Superintendent Susan Schiller said.
Six people in the restaurant were evacuated through the back of the building, the fire department said.
The owner of Common Ground, Bob Oguin, says he was in the basement of the restaurant when he heard a loud bang. He ran upstairs to find the mess.
"It sounded like an earthquake," he said.
According to Oguin, there were 30-40 people inside the restaurant when it happened. Everyone inside was okay; it was the woman outside who was hurt.
Oguin says the restaurant will be closed for six months and employees are going to lose their wages. He's hoping insurance will cover it.
"It's horrible," he said.
The collapse also damaged cars parked outfront of the building.
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"Obviously other people got hurt, so there's much more pressing issues. But it still...it sucks," Dylan Shea, whose car was damaged, said.
Stephen McNiel of the Boston Fire Department said Sunday afternoon that the building sustained about $500,000 in damages.
He also said all utilities have been shut down to the buildings affected and it will take some time for officials to assess the structural integrity of the buildings.
"It's the parapet wall, and when these things fall, typically it will start to fall and it's like a domino effect where it all comes down," McNiel said.
He says the collapse appears to be random. There was no warning it was going to happen.
"In many ways it's amazing there weren't any more injuries," McNiel said.
Other shops that share the building with the restaurant include a salon, an ice cream shop and a clothing store. They are all shut down for the night.
The fire department is using a drone to check out the damage from the roof. McNiel says they're also looking at cameras nearby that may have recorded the incident.
No further information was immediately available.
