By Ben Shahrabi
The gable roof of a retirement complex partially collapsed amid strong winds this morning (November 24), shutting Maldon High Street as Storm Bert batters the district.
Multiple police and fire crews attended Embassy Court, where the gable end of the roof had collapsed onto the road below.
Residents were evacuated as a safety precaution.
Fire crews from Maldon, Colchester and Chelmsford assisted, as firefighters continue to worked to make the building and surrounding area safe. The incident was made safe by 11am.
Maldon Fire Station manager Ryan Ainger said: “Initial crews put a cordon in place to maintain the safety of public as the bricks had fallen onto the neighbouring building and the alleyway below.
"Luckily, nobody was injured or trapped. Crews worked hard to remove sections of the roof and cleared the loft of any items so they were not blown away by the wind."
Firefighters removed sections of the collapsed roof, before leaving the incident with police.
Earlier, a spokesperson for Maldon Fire Station confirmed: “Firefighters are currently attending a collapsed structure incident along with colleagues from Chelmsford, Colchester and Urban Search & Rescue - as well as the Hazardous Area Response Team and local police.
“As the structure has not yet been declared safe, please be aware the High Street is currently closed from the Wantz Road Junction to Victoria Road.”
The incident comes as a yellow weather warning for wind has been issued by the Met Office, with the forecaster adding: “Strong winds due to Storm Bert may cause some disruption across central and eastern parts of England during Sunday.”
Embassy Court, built on the site of the former Embassy cinema in 1987, is home to around 30 retirement flats for people aged over 60 years old.
Updated at 16:30 on 24/11/2024 to reflect the latest emergency services update.
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