398 forced to leave apartments over structural concerns: Officials

398 forced to leave apartments over structural concerns: Officials

Nearly 400 people were evacuated from The Rialto Apartments on Thursday morning after concerns were raised about the building's "structural instability," according to Orange County Government and Orange County Fire Rescue. Residents began calling 911 around 4 a.m. claiming that their doors had been jammed and that they were unable to open them. Another caller, officials said, said she could hear "popping noises" and feared the 5-story apartment building was going to collapse. The apartment complex is located on W. Sand Lake Road. It's part of a mixed-use building, where several businesses are located beneath the apartments. Orange County's Building Division of Building Safety has ordered the building's property management company to hire a licensed engineer or architect to conduct a complete evacuation of the building. Residents cannot return home until that happens.

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