Building Collapses Near White House
A building in the early stages of construction four blocks from the White House collapsed Monday night. Three construction trailers and a van, parked on the sidewalk or in the street, tumbled into the excavation site at 14th and H streets northwest as ground at the site caved in, fire officials said.
They said the apparent cause was vibrations from a faulty transformer, whose spectacular arcing could be seen for blocks.
The noisy collapse forced workers to evacuate from United Press International World Headquarters next door and from other nearby office buildings.
There was no immediate word on any injuries. Special teams were called to descend into the four-story-deep hole on ropes as officials sought to determine whether the site was vulnerable to further collapse.
Service was suspended on a subway line running past the area, with trains turning back at nearby stations on either side.
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