Emergency services called to partial building collapse in Ramsgate

The debris spilled into the road Photo Dave Stillman

Police and Kent Fire and Rescue Service have been called to the scene of a partial building collapse in Ramsgate.

The third storey of the corner property in Plains of Waterloo, just off Bellevue Road,  crumbled with debris falling across the road tonight (September 18) at around 10.10pm. A huge crack can also be seen in the lower part of the building.

A Central Cars driver at the scene told The Isle of Thanet News: “I was just dropping a customer off when we heard the crash, there was a bang and then the shopkeepers came out.

Photo Dave Stillman

“We dd not see anyone  and then people started coming out.The customer called the police.”

The fire service and South East Coast Ambulance services are now at the scene where a crowd of shocked people, many in their night wear, are gathered on the pavement.

One person said there was a fire inside the building, another said there was a suspected gas explosion.

Photo Dave Stillman

One man who wore only his boxer shorts rushed back into the building before emergency services reached the scene.

Kent Fire and Rescue said: “Kent Fire and Rescue Service has been called to a building collapse on Plains of Waterloo in Ramsgate. Two fire engines and our Technical Rescue Unit are currently on the scene. Kent Police and South East Coast Ambulance are also in attendance. The exact cause is not yet known.”

UPDATE HERE

5 Comments

  1. I had what I thought was just a police car but looked outside my window to see all the emergency services and wondered what’s happened. It scary to think at 3:30pm I collected my son from nursery and the building was fine

  2. Seems to be a growing concern in Ramsgate in last few years buildings collapsing or should say partly collapsing buildings I wondered if this is anything to do with the age of them and they are not built to with the amount of traffic that is around now and amount of vibration caused by them. As we all know buildings were built quite differently to the way they are now. At least looks like nobody has been hurt but must be some shock.

  3. Poor maintenance can also be a factor in this kind of event ,also I remember quite clearly a house I lived in in Westgate ( end terrace) and the whole side collapsed into the alley ,the insurance put it down to war damage.and this was in 1978.

  4. Yes I agree with both of the above, I think Belveiw ave , trove court , kenndy house were built in 1961 after bombings in ww2 (before my time).many houses were in bits.From my reading of history Belview road was a road for the rich to live the same as another few in Ramsgate that I wont mention but I do see they look in a state of disrepair.
    Given the state of the roads these days, we get a bit of snow an we get potholes so how much does a building sink ?
    Im pleased no one was hurt it could have been far worse , bus stop outside , nursery only a couple of doors away .

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