‘Woke up to a large bang,’ 2 men hospitalized after apartment collapses in Dayton

DAYTON — Two men are hospitalized after an apartment collapsed in Dayton Tuesday morning.

>>PHOTOS: Firefighters respond after part of building collapses in Dayton

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As reported as breaking news on News Center 7 Daybreak, Dayton firefighters responded at around 2:19 a.m. to the first block of Parnell Avenue to initial reports of a structure fire, according to Montgomery County Regional Dispatch.

Dayton Fire District Chief Matt McClain said firefighters saw no visible signs of fire but some sort of building collapse.

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“We talked to some neighbors and they claim they heard an explosion and then the collapse happened,” he said. “We did have multiple reports of people inside the apartment.”

News Center 7 obtained 911 calls through a public records request. One caller told dispatchers that they were fast asleep when it happened.

“So, I was asleep and woke up to a large bang,” the caller described to dispatchers. “So, I walked outside and it looks like the building had collapsed or something blew up inside.”

McClain said the building was a four-unit “shotgun-style” apartment.

“The front unit was significantly damaged, the roof had collapsed, the walls had been blown out,” McClain said. “The second unit sustained some damage structurally. The third and fourth units were in pretty good shape.

Medics found two men inside the collapsed apartment and transported them to an area hospital. McClain said their conditions are currently unknown.

The cause of the collapse remains under investigation.

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