MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – The American Red Cross is assisting displaced residents in the Medical District after the second-story walkway of their apartment building collapsed Tuesday evening.
According to the Memphis Fire Department, 10 residents in total were safely evacuated from the building located at 1016 Peabody Avenue.
The walkway is an issue that many residents who live there said they’ve noticed for weeks.
Many said they even notified the property management about the issue.
“I just noticed the stairs coming down, peeling. I just noticed it about three weeks ago,” said Kenitha Smith, a resident of the apartment building.
Luckily, no one was harmed when the walkway fell.
The affected residents will be relocated until the building has been deemed “safe,” according to MFD.
Smith is one of the residents who is now displaced. She was emotional after realizing she didn’t have many options now that her apartment is behind the yellow tape.
“Hurt, upset, because I been telling these people. I been telling them,” Smith said.
She said she has lived there for 11 years and was starting a new journey to leave those apartments after years of issues.
“I just started a new job today,” she said. “Today. So, I could get the money I need to move and come home to this.”
The mayor’s office says code enforcement will be visiting the complex in the morning.
It’s unclear at this time what caused the collapse.
