Community Corner

Building Collapse Could Have Been Prevented, Officials Say

The Center City building collapse in June that killed a Havertown native could have been prevented, federal officials said Thursday.

The Center City building collapse in June that killed a Havertown native could have been prevented, federal officials said Thursday, reports Philly.com.

A "string of failures in the planning and execution of the demolition project" triggered the disaster that killed six people, including Mary Simpson.

"In citing the owners of two firms involved in the work for safety violations, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration said the project went ahead without even an engineering survey," Philly.com reports.

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Simpson, 24, was in the Salvation Army thrift shop with her good friend Anne Bryan, another victim, when the building next door collapsed.

Simpson "was a gifted figure skater before graduating in 2007 from Haverford High.

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