CANASTOTA, NY -- The Red Cross is offering help to 25 families after a partial building collapse in Canastota.
The multi-story collapse happened on Center Street. It caused a power outage to people who lived nearby.
The Red Cross has opened a reception center at the VFW on Canal Road to help anyone who needs assistance. Fire officials say about 30 people were displaced by the collapse.
The Canastota Fire Department is down the street from the collapsed building. Fire crews say they heard what sounded like an explosion around 1 pm Sunday and noticed the collapse. Another part of the building collapsed two hours later.
Canastota Fire Chief John Massarotti says it was a hectic scene when the building first collapsed.
"Our first thought was, 'Is there anybody in there?' We talked with all the neighbors, if they saw anybody going in or out and trying to account for everybody and their families and their kids, so that was done right away. In a manner of minutes we determined chances are, no one was in there," Massarotti says.
No one was in the building or injured at the time. The cause of the collapse is under investigation.
