Tenants Escape as 'Unsafe Building' Collapses

A number of tenants in Hawaii had a lucky escape this week when the multi-storey building they were renting collapsed.

The building in Kalihi fell into a nearby river and residents are now taking shelter at the local Red Cross, KITV.com reports.

Landlord Daniel Cunningham had been threatened with foreclosure due to breaches of building regulations and tenants claim that he had kept their deposits and refused to carry out repairs.

One local, Jay Young, said the building was not fit to live in.

"It's not right. The way it exists, it's not safe. It should be down. There are way too many people," he commented.

Tenants have also claimed that Mr. Cunningham, a former chiropractor who claims to have developed a treatment to allow eternal life, used them as subjects for medical experiments.

Mr. Cunningham denies the allegations.

Tenants who live in buildings that are not safe may be able to claim compensation if this failure to ensure the appropriate safety measures by the landlord results in injury.