NEW LONDON, Conn. (WTNH) — Crews are on site Saturday morning to demolish the remainder of a historic New London church after it collapsed on Thursday afternoon, forever changing the city’s skyline.

The collapse happened at about 1:30 p.m. at the intersection of State Street and Union Street.

New London Mayor Michael Passero said engineers determined on Friday that the remainder of the structure will have to be demolished completely due to heavy damage. The demolition is expected to happen throughout the day on Saturday.

The above video is from News 8’s 10 p.m. newscast on 1/26/2024.

Firefighters found a woman who was in the rear end of the building at the time of collapse. She was not injured and told first responders that no one else was there. Passero confirmed that he is very confident there was no loss of life after the collapse.

The above video is from News 8’s 6 p.m. newscast on 1/26/2024.

Passero also said that although no reports were made to the city, photos are circulating social media that appear to show the steeple leaning before the collapse. No construction work was happening at the time and city leaders were not aware of any concerns.

“We’re lucky,” Passero said. “The steeple fell back into the church, and we’re lucky that it appears, so far, that no one was in the building.”

Security footage captured the moment the building collapsed below.

Passero said the church was “a cherished historic structure.”

“This will leave a gaping hole in our downtown,” Passero said. “This is heartbreaking, it’s heartbreaking. I’m not the only one that feels that way, everybody feels that way.”

Drones flying through the wreckage have not found anyone inside, and heat sensors have not detected anyone at the scene. An urban search and rescue team, along with search dogs, have been sent in to help.

The demolition is expected to start after Friday and take about three to four days. The public is asked to stay away from the downtown area, including Union Street, Masonic Street, State Street, Eugene O’Neill Drive and Gov. Winthrop Boulevard.

A nearby dorm for Connecticut College students has been evacuated, but the dorm is safe. The students are not expected to be able to return until next week.

Two congregations share the church — Engaging Heaven and the former First Congregational Church. Engaging Heaven owns the building, according to the mayor.

“At this time we are letting New London’s finest do what they do best as they assess the situation,” Engaging Heaven wrote in a statement. “They are some of the best around. They are making sure the area is safe and secure. We are grateful no one was hurt. The building is destroyed. The Church is thriving and strong. We trust in an unshakable God! We appreciate the love, prayers and support from around the country!”

The Garde Arts Center in New London has offered to hold a service for the two congregations next Sunday at 11 a.m. The mayor said he hopes people can gather for this community healing event.

News 8 also spoke with to the Pastor of the congregation Engaging Heaven. The church has been providing 60-80 hot meals 5 times a week to those in need. A number of churches and community organizations, including the Salvation Army, are working together to make sure that program continues. Pastor Bob Nicholls said that despite the collapse, he is in good spirits, thanks to the support of others. 

“The support from this community has been unbelievable,” said Nicholls. “And so out of the ashes we rise. It’s beauty from ashes and a lot of people were devastated and sad about the building. But we know that New London is strong.”

Lester Harris was in the area when the church collapsed.

“I heard this boom sound and I looked to my left, and there was the church all in one piece, but then it just collapsed down the middle,” he said.

Following the collapse, city leaders are looking into other historic buildings to ensure they are being inspected properly. The last time this church was inspected was on Jan. 4, 2019.

“You can be ensured that at least in this city, and I imagine many cities across the state are going to be putting a closer eye on the condition of some of these historic structures because this has certainly caught us by surprise,” Passero said.

Gov. Ned Lamont posted on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, that he is in communication with state police and emergency management officials, and that state resources have been deployed to help.

“Our heart goes out to those for whom the bell no longer tolls,” he posted. “All our prayers that there are no injuries.”

Many community members are devastated by the loss.

“One of the things that New London is justifiably famous for is its architecture and we lost a big part of our history yesterday and it’s really tragic for all of us,” said Mel Foti, a community member.

The cause of the collapse remains a mystery. City leaders are investigating, but they said they may never know what triggered the collapse.

“It’s a historic landmark, you know, they used to come here to have breakfast on Sundays, just good people and it was a place that people could go and feel happy,” said Bryan Tucker, a community member.