A video has captured the moment that the steeple of the historic First Congregational Church in New London, Connecticut, collapsed to the ground, leaving a massive hole in the building’s roof.
The Connecticut Division of Emergency Management and Homeland Security tweeted last night that the state’s Urban Search and Rescue Team and State Police K9 units were continuing to search the scene of the incident. The collapse happened on Thursday afternoon, and there were no reports of deaths or injuries.
Footage taken by a middle school camera near the church showed its steeple breaking up and plunging to the ground.
“The building is destroyed. The Church is thriving and strong. We trust in an unshakable God!” Engaging Heaven Church, which also worships in the space, wrote on Facebook.
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The collapse of a church in New London, Connecticut, was caught on video Thursday. (ISAAC Middle School/Dr. Nicholas Spera/LOCAL NEWS X/TMX)
New London Mayor Michael Passero said at a news briefing Thursday that the circumstances of the collapse were “extremely fortunate.”
Photos taken at the scene showed debris being contained to church property. There was no service being held at the time of the collapse.
“It could have been a much bigger disaster for us. However, we did lose a cherished historic structure,” Passero said.
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Emergency crews respond to the First Congregational Church in New London, Connecticut, following the collapse Thursday. (Dana Jensen/The Day/AP)
The cause of the collapse was not immediately known. Passero said there had been no prior indication that there had been anything wrong with the building, and the city was not aware of any work being done on the property. It wasn’t immediately clear whether it had inspected recently, he said.
The stone building dates to around 1850, according to Connecticut building records.
The collapse caused extensive damage to the roof of a church in New London, Connecticut. (Peter Huoppi/The Day via AP)
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“We’ll continue to have state resources on the scene in New London to assist with the response,” Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said in a post on X.
Fox News’ Stepheny Price and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
