6 Hurt as Floor of Cafe Buckles

The floor of a small downtown cafe collapsed at mid-afternoon Sunday, burying its staff in debris and injuring at least six people, one of them critically.

Most seriously hurt was the wife of the owner of the fast-food restaurant at 721 S. Hill St. She suffered second- and third-degree burns when a steam table fell on her after the floor dropped about 10 feet into the basement, city Fire Department spokesman Jim Wells said.

Two busboys, two cooks and a waitress escaped with lesser injuries, chiefly cuts and bruises. No customers were in the restaurant at the time.

“It’s pretty obvious that dry rot was the cause,” said Fire Department Public Information Officer Vince Marzo.

Richard Torres, 43, the cafe manager, said he had walked across the street to have a cash register repaired shortly before the collapse. He said when he returned to the structure, which has no name but specializes in Oriental and Latino fare, “I looked for the counter and then the refrigerator and I didn’t see anything. Then I looked down and saw all those hands (under the debris).”