THE ANGELS – And collapse reduced to rubble casa in renovation in Los Angeles, tore out the pool and terrace of a second home, and left the pool of a third on the edge of a huge fissure on Wednesday morning.
The collapse occurred just before 3 a.m. in Sherman Oaks, a neighborhood of luxury homes about 12 miles (19 kilometers) northeast of downtown. No victims were found in an initial search, but several people were evacuated from one of the homes, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.
At this time, the causes of the collapse have not been indicated, but many of them have occurred in Southern California due to torrential winter storms that have saturated the ground.
Since January 1, nearly 16 inches (41 centimeters) of rain has fallen in downtown Los Angeles, which is almost double what normally occurs this time of year. By early February, almost 600 mudslides were reported in the city16 buildings have been placed on red alert because they are considered unsafe to enter, and another 30 have been placed on yellow alert, limiting access to them.
A video taken from a news helicopter revealed the magnitude of the collapse. The destroyed house, which appeared to be under renovation, was crushed and most of its roof lay on the ground.
In recent days, the number of storms in Southern California has decreased, but avalanches and rock falls have continued. Several sections of the Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu and State Route 27 through the Topanga Canyon, west of Los Angeles, have been heavily damaged.
Some rain is possible again this weekend, the National Weather Service said.
Source: With information from AP
