Wind rips roof from block of flats

Fierce winds ripped a large section of roof from a block of flats in Slough which then crashed onto the town’s High Street.

 

Tons of debris from the block – which houses around 200 people – landed in the middle of the road as Storm Brendan whipped across the south of England on January 14.

 

Thames Valley Police said they believed that no-one had been injured. Royal Berkshire Fire and Rescue confirmed there were no serious injuries and they had not found anyone under the rubble. 

 

Taxi driver Haris Baig said his car was just metres away from being hit by the roof.

 

He said: “At first I thought it was scaffolding, but then I realised the whole roof had come down.

 

“It was a disaster. It was a miracle no-one was killed.”

 

One resident of the block, Sebastian Rejnisz, told reporters: “I was moving my car out the back at the time when I heard a boom. I just thought it was the bins.

 

“I then went in and opened the front door and saw the roof was on the street. Everyone was just running around.”

 

Paradigm Housing said the roof collapse had affected one of its properties, although it is unclear whether the block of flats is owned by the company.

 

In a statement on Twitter, the firm said: “We are aware of an incident affecting one of our properties in Slough. We have staff on site and are working with the emergency services and supporting residents.”