Owner, charity liable in building collapse that killed 6

A jury has found the Salvation Army, an adjacent building owner and other defendants liable for a Philadelphia building collapse that killed six people inside the charity's thrift store.

Thirteen other people were buried in rubble but survived when a towering wall from an adjacent demolition project collapsed onto the small store. Some suffered permanent injuries.

Two unqualified demolition contractors are serving long prison terms, but the building owner and the architect who oversaw the demolition were never charged criminally.

The civil trial over damages has stretched over five months before Tuesday's verdict. The jury in less than a day has found all the defendants liable.

They include the owner of the building being demolished, Richard Basciano (bahs-ee-AH'-no); architect Plato Marinakos Jr.; the Salvation Army; and the imprisoned contractors.