Everyone Escapes Sudden Building Collapse in Toronto

A building on the Danforth was reduced to rubble overnight after it unexpectedly caved in, forcing residents to run for their lives.

Incredibly, everyone managed to scramble out safely following the sudden implosion just after 5am at 1774 Danforth Ave. First the walls gave way and then the roof came plummeting down in what must have been a terrifying ordeal for those inside.

"The call came in at approximately 5:15am. The people in the adjacent apartment heard some cracking," noted Toronto Fire Platoon Chief Paul Moffatt. "They (tried to) open up an interior door and noticed that they were unable to open the door. They decided to vacate the building and they went downstairs, down to Danforth Avenue, and at that time they looked up and saw debris starting to fall down on to the street."

Four people received minor injuries in the collapse and were taken to hospital to be checked out. There's no word yet on what caused it but the first floor of the building, which houses the Cheers Bar and Grill, had apparently been undergoing renovations.

"I woke up and heard this massive crash and people screaming," described area resident Rob Esselmont. "It was insane. All we heard were people screaming and crying and trying to get out. The entire place is collapsed right in."

EMS worker Peter Rotolo said it looked as though everyone had made it out alive.

"We did a head count and everybody that we have said they have been all accounted for so we're pretty confident that there's nobody left in the buildings," he said, adding that about 30 people were being sheltered in TTC buses. The Red Cross has sent representatives to the area to help out, given that many of those living in the affected building have lost all their worldly possessions in the wreckage.