Video captures moment Aurora building collapsed, sending piles of debris into street

"Drivers should avoid the area and use an alternate route while crews are on scene," a spokesperson for Aurora police said.

The Details

• By Alex Dvorak and
• Izzy Stroobandt
• Published November 12, 2026
• Updated on
• November 12, 2026 at
• Surveillance video captured the moment an

Aurora building partially collapsed, sending a wall of debris tumbling into traffic as people ran for cover through clouds of dust.

The shocking moment all caught on camera shows scaffolding and part of a building's brick exterior suddenly falling to the ground, with the rubble covering parked vehicles as some swerve to avoid the debris and people standing on a nearby corner nearly race into traffic at a busy intersection.

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The incident happened around 6:40 p.m. in the 100 block of East Galena Boulevard.

Both Aurora police and firefighters responded to the scene after reports that scaffolding and part of a building's brick exterior separated from the building and fell into the roadway, police said.

The city said three people suffered minor injuries in the collapse but all are expected to fully recover. The building was evacuated "as a precaution and crews utilized a drone to assess the upper portion of the building."

A massive hole in the front facade of the building could be seen above a pile of metal scaffolding beams sitting in the street below, video showed.

A partial building collapse in Aurora left a large pile of debris and scaffolding in the street on Wednesday evening. Randy Gyllenhaal reports.

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Why FAA says it issued a ground stop for airports nationwide Fire crews ultimately used "targeted water operations to perform a controlled collapse on structurally unsound portions of the building, helping to prevent further debris from falling onto Broadway Avenue and Galena Boulevard."

Amid the ongoing cleanup efforts, the city said IL Route 25, also known as Broadway, will remain shut down from New York Street to Downer Place. Galena Boulevard will also be closed from River Street to Broadway and from Broadway to Lincoln Avenue.

"These closures will keep vehicles safe from debris and help crews clean up the area. Traffic control devices will be set up to help direct traffic throughout downtown," the city said.