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"UPDATE: Reports now say work was being done to repair the crack in the weeks leading up to the collapse.\nA four story building collapsed in Brooklyn today, just before 2pm.  The \"Vesper Bar &amp; Lounge\" at 493 Myrtle Avenue is completely unrecognizable after the collapse, which saw no casualties and four minor injuries, according to early reports.  The Bar was closed at the time and emergency services are still on the scene.Images of the fallen building were quickly posted to photo-sharing sites Twitpic (here and here) and Yfrog (here and here).  But what makes this story more intriguing is that the imagery on Google Maps Street View clearly shows a large crack running up the front of the building (below).  \nOne of the New York Times' local blogs reports that:\nThe building was cited last month for having a crack running from the first floor to the third. The May 1 complaint from the Buildings Department says \u201CApprox 1/2 inch to 1 inch wide vertical crack line in east wall (east south corner) facade from 1st to 3rd floor.\u201D The inspection also found cracks on the interior wall on the third and fourth floors.\nWhile Google Street View is sometimes viewed as invasive, eroding privacy yet further as more of our lives are captured and digitized, the event shows an unexpected benefit: images that once seemed irrelevant are suddenly at the center of a major news event.\nSee also: Top 15 Google Street View Sightings\nBefore\n\n\nAfter\n\n\n\n"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2009/06/21/google-street-view-collapse/>