Cause of Hudson Heights wall collapse unknown

Two days after a retaining wall collapsed in Hudson Heights, officials are still uncertain about what caused the fall. The cause remains under investigation, a spokeswoman from the city Office of Emergency Management told DNAinfo.

The wall collapse forced the evacuation of 35 apartments, and entrances to the rear of 70, 72, 74 and 76 Pinehurst Avenue were blocked off with police tape and monitored by fire guards. The guards were hired Monday after the Department of Buildings ordered the building’s landlord to ensure the safety of residents until rear fire escapes could be installed.

All but three families have since been moved back into the building, the OEM spokeswoman said. Two continue to work with the American Red Cross to find shelter.

The wall, located between several apartments on Cabrini Boulevard and Pinehurst Avenue, just below W. 181st Street, is reportedly over 100 years old.

“It’s an old wall,” Addo Nikovic, a building superintendent at the nearby Fort View Apartments, told DNAinfo. “Thankfully, no one died.” [DNAinfo] –Julie Strickland