A building in the Fordham Heights section of The Bronx partially collapsed on Monday, Jan. 12, NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) officials said. It follows a previous partial building collapse at a NYCHA building in Mott Haven in October 2025, a partial building collapse in Morris Heights in December 2023, another construction site collapse at an Orchard Beach construction site in July 2023, and a wall collapse in Olinville in which six people were injured the same month and year.

 

DOB officials said on Monday afternoon, DOB inspectors were called to 57 East Burnside Avenue in The Bronx, following reports of a partial wall collapse at the location. They said that at the scene, the site of a full demolition operation under an active DOB permit, inspectors observed that a building wall had collapsed, extending debris approximately 15 feet onto the adjacent sidewalk and Walton Avenue roadway, and partially collapsing the sidewalk shed that covered the sidewalk.

 

They said first responders reported no injuries from the incident. They said that due to the collapse, DOB also issued a Partial Vacate Order for 67-69 East Burnside Avenue, and the rear yard of 2065 Morris Avenue. They added that security guards were engaged to provide an overnight watch of the properties.

A building at 57 East Burnside Avenue in the Fordham Heights section of The Bronx, seen here on Wednesday night, Jan. 14, 2026, partially collapsed on Jan. 12, 2026, NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) officials said. Video by Norwood News

DOB officials went on to say that the department’s forensic engineers were back at the site this week to continue their investigation, and to meet again with the property owners. They said DOB’s investigation determined that at the time of the collapse on Monday, demolition operations were actively ongoing, contrary to a previously issued Stop Work Order.

 

They said the property owners had dismissed their contractor, Hexagon Industries Inc., and had hired a new contractor who, they said, going forward, will be responsible for clean-up operations, repairing the damaged sidewalk shed, and performing any other work necessary to make the site safe. According to City records, the owners are listed as Burnside Properties NY LLC, with an address at 57 Burnside Avenue, The Bronx.

 

DOB officials said to resume demolition operations, the owner’s engineer needed to submit a means and methods report to the department for review, which they said would require the contractor to show how it would safely resume such operations.

They said once DOB approves this means and methods plan, and all unsafe conditions have been remediated by the new contractor, the contractor can request that the Stop Work Order be lifted. They added that if DOB lifts the Stop Work Order, the contractors can resume the permitted demolition operations.

 

They said DOB will be conducting additional unannounced site visits at the location going forward to confirm that the current Stop Work Order is being complied with, and all applicable safety regulations are being adhered to. They said that as a result of DOB’s investigation, the department found the following additional violations at the site:

 

o   Failure to Safeguard Public and Property

o   Work contrary to a previously issued Stop Work Order

o   No Pre Shift Safety Meeting for workers

o   No Safety Orientation for workers

o   No Alternate Superintendent on site

o   Failure to maintain a supported scaffold at the site.

o   Glass not properly removed form windows prior to demolition operations.

o   Improper storage for flammable gas

o   Failure to install overhead protection

 

As reported, Bronx District Attorney Darcel Clark announced that three building contractors were indicted on April 12, 2023  in the first Bronx case to bring charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide for a construction fatality which took place, as reported by Norwood News at the time, at 94 East 208th Street in Norwood in 2019.

 

The victim, a father and 46-year-old Ecuadorian immigrant worker, Segundo Manuel Huerta Mayancela, was crushed by 1,000 pounds of debris in what was described as an egregiously dangerous building site, a joint investigation by NYC Department of Investigation (DOI) and the Bronx District Attorney’s office found. Builders also allegedly falsified credentials/permits and flouted safety laws, according to the investigation. They were called out by union workers for doing so, as also reported at the time.

 

Clark identified the defendants as Augustine Adesanmi, 67, owner of Favored Design and Construction, who engaged in the actual construction; Akhlak Choudhary, 54, owner of Pioneer General Construction, a general contractor for the project; Abazi Okoro, 66, owner of Linzi Construction and a construction superintendent at site; and Fatos Mustafaj, 64. They are presumed innocent unless and until convicted in a court of law. Norwood News has contacted the Bronx DA’s office for a status update on the case and will share any updates we receive.

As also reported, three migrant construction workers in their twenties, one from Ecuador and one with a young family, who were seriously burned following a work place accident / flash fire in the Williamsbridge section of The Bronx filed a negligence lawsuit against BE Bronx Builders, LLC, Stagg Group, and Mark Stagg in June 2023. The accident occurred at 739 East Gun Hill Road, a new building under construction, on Monday, May 15, as reported.

 

Additionally, in June 2023, as reported, a construction worker was hospitalized after falling 30 feet from the 4th floor of a construction site at 4180 Carpenter Avenue in Wakefield according to DOB. Department officials added that safety violations were identified at the site run by BE Bronx Builders LLC, which is also owned by the Stagg Group. Norwood News has contacted both DOB and the law firms involved in the cases for a status update and will share any updates we receive.

 

In relation to the latest incident, Norwood News visited the site on Wednesday evening, Jan. 14, and observed a green guard fence around the construction site and various Stop Work Orders affixed to same. See attached video which shows inside the construction site. Speaking in both English and Spanish, a woman, who said her daughter lives in the home adjacent to the site, told us cars had always been prohibited from parking adjacent to the construction site along Walton Avenue and could only park further down that same street.

 

She said this was causing issues with alternate side parking as some were not moving. It seems there was very little room for car owners to move their vehicles to another parking spot. The woman was accompanied by her young grandson, who explained that on the day of the collapse, the sound was like as if something fell, as opposed to an explosion. “Maybe it takes long to demolish. The structure is very strong.” the woman said.

 

Of the construction workers, the woman said, “They were working every day, Sunday to Sunday; every day, little by little. I came at like 1 and they were putting water and something and afterwards, I don’t know, it exploded or something. I don’t know. I think they were putting dynamite or something low down to explode the [inaudible]. They take away everybody.” She said the collapse occurred around 3.30/4 p.m. roughly.

We asked if anyone was hurt and she said, “no.” We asked if there was a lot of dust and debris afterwards. The woman said “No, my daughter is ok to live here in the third floor. She has five kids. They don’t cut the gas, they don’t cut the electric, so everything for me, is on. It’s ok.”

 

Asked if they were scared when they heard the loud noise, she said, “No, because they’re working here three months, every day, Sunday to Sunday.” She said the front part of the site was already collapsed since a long time ago and the most recent collapse occurred on the Walton Avenue side of the site.

 

As also reported, a boom truck collapsed at a Bedford Park construction site in 2022, narrowly missing a driver as it did so.

 

City Council Member Pierina Sanchez (C.D. 14) previously introduced a bill, which became The Billingsley Terrace Structural Integrity Act, inspired by the Billingsley Terrace partial building collapse in Morris Heights in December 2023, and it duly passed in the council in 2024. The Morris Heights incident had forced over 150 tenants to lose their homes, as reported, but fortunately there were no injuries.

Key provisions include the following:

• Proactive Inspection Program: The bill mandates the creation of a proactive inspection program by the commissioner, utilizing predictive analytics to identify potential safety issues based on factors such as building age, permit and violation history, and relevant 311 complaints.
• Corrective Action Plans: Building owners will be required to submit corrective action plans, prepared by registered design professionals, within 30 days of notification of any identified issues. These plans must include detailed documentation, photos, and timelines for repairs.
• Transparency: Notices about identified conditions must be posted in building lobbies and made available in all designated citywide languages, ensuring residents are informed about building safety issues.

 

“New Yorkers deserve to both be and feel safe in their homes, yet the December 2023 1915 Billingsley Terrace collapse raised concerns about the effectiveness of the City’s practices,” Sanchez, chair of the Committee on Housing and Buildings, said at the time.