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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Makiki apartment residents evacuated after portion of walkway breaks loose


Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Rebar is exposed after a portion of a third-floor walkway at a Makiki apartment complex broke loose last night.

RICHARD AMBO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser
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Eighteen residents of a Makiki apartment complex were evacuated last night after a large portion of a third-floor walkway broke loose.

Police said no one was injured.
Pieces of concrete fell on at least three cars, completely shattering the rear window of one.
The collapse happened just before midnight at the Hawaiian Holiday complex at 1420 Wilder Avenue.
“I thought it was an earthquake,” said Queeny Raquel, 25, who was eating dinner with her boyfriend in his unit at the complex when the walkway collapsed. “It just sounded like a loud crash.”
Raquel’s boyfriend, David Pascual, ran outside after hearing the collapse. The portion of walkway that fell is just feet from his doorstep.
“It was pretty scary,” said Pascual, 27.
The complex is an L-shaped four-story walk-up consisting of about 40 units.
An approximately 12-foot section of the underside of the walkway broke loose and fell onto the second-floor walkway and cars in the first-floor garage level.
This morning, the area was cordoned off by safety tape and watched by police.
Residents were not being allowed to return to their units.
Rebar could be seen protruding from the bottom of the walkway and the parking lot beneath was littered with chunks of concrete.