Demolition began yesterday on a Harlem building that collapsed this week and halted Metro-North Railroad service for several hours, stranding thousands of commuters.

A spokesman for the building's landlord, the Kushner Companies, said the company had received permission to start removing the rubble at 102 E. 124th St. starting yesterday. Forensic inspectors from the Department of Buildings were also on scene yesterday to determine the cause of the collapse. No one was hurt. A spokeswoman for the department, Kate Lindquist, said that the Kushner Companies had been issued a violation for "failing to maintain the building's exterior wall" and that the department "anticipates issuing additional violations as the investigation unfolds."

The department had already issued several violations for falling debris at the site in recent months. After the collapse, the owners said their engineers had previously notified the Buildings Department of a danger that the structure might fall. The Buildings Department disputed that claim this week, however, and said inspectors had not been at the site since January.