Pontins Brean roof collapse: Eighteen injured as ceiling falls at Somerset building

People stand at the entrance to Pontin's Brean Sands holiday park in Somerset
PA
Bonnie Christian21 February 2019

Several people were injured after a roof partially collapsed at a holiday park in Somerset.

Avon and Somerset Police were called to Brean Sands Holiday Park around 6.30pm on Wednesday after reports a ceiling had collapsed inside one of the buildings.

“A number of people suffered minor injuries in the incident but thankfully no one was seriously hurt,” a spokesman said.

“A search of the scene has been carried out and we can confirm no one was trapped under the debris.”

South Western Ambulance Service said 18 patients were treated at the scene and six were taken to hospital.

An ambulance at the scene
PA

The Health and Safety Executive have been informed of the incident.

A statement from the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service said officers responded to reports a "section of ducting collapsed into the bar area of a building" at the holiday park.

"The incident involved the collapse of approximately 40 metres of structural ducting and ceiling sections, exposing live damaged electrics and making the scene unstable," it said.

"Fire crews used eight high pressure airbags and small tools to establish that no persons were trapped beneath the collapse."

The scene was made safe and fire crews have returned to their stations.

Ex-New Zealand cricketer Iain O'Brien said on Twitter he had returned to the holiday park after a day-out to find "a major panic site".

"Word is, and hopefully it's accurate, no-one seriously hurt," he tweeted.

"Serious amount of emergency services here. Staff very shaken and look like they could do with a hug or two."

Thomas Gorman, told Burnham-On-Sea.com that the incident had occurred inside the ‘Fun Factory’ entertainment venue at the holiday park.

“A big long wall has collapsed from height with lots of lighting rigging and TV screens attached to it, falling onto guests,” he said.

Andrew Haughton, who tweeted from the venue, said a large heating vent and part of the ceiling collapsed over a crowd.

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