LUCKY ESCAPE
STRONG WINDS RIP ROOF OFF HOME WHILE FAMILY WAS SLEEPING
A FAMILY escaped injury yesterday when the roof of their house was blown off during an overnight storm.
The Errabou family were fast asleep when they were all woken by a big bang.
They soon found out that half of their roof had been blown off the house in the strong winds.
Mowa Errabou, who lives in the house with his family, said: “It happened at about 5.20am and the whole family were sleeping.
“We had heard the strong winds in the garden earlier but next thing we all woke up to a big bang. We couldn’t work out what it was but were running into each other’s rooms.”
Mowa, who shares the house with his father and mother, two brothers and two sisters, said they were still trying to work out what had happened when there was a loud banging on their front door.
It turned out to be their next door neighbour.
“Our neighbour must have heard it – he works an early morning shift and was obviously up,” said Mowa.
“He started banging on our door. I think he wondered if the house was collapsing. We came outside and saw the wall had collapsed outwards, with rubble all over the car park of Stoke Heath Community Centre next door. We felt very lucky it had collapsed outwards rather than inwards. “I just thank God that no one was hurt and also that it didn’t happen later when lots of small children would have been around attending events at the community centre.” The community centre was closed yesterday for safety reasons, cancelling all adult education classes and activities. Rubble from the bricks that had fallen blocked some of the car park of the centre.
Edwina Jones, who is on the centre’s committee, said: “The first group would have been a mum and baby group.
“There would be a lot of small children and they would all travel here by car.
“They wouldn’t be able to use a large part of the car park and there is no street parking available. We have had to cancel everything, including adult education work we do with the city council.
“We had a book keeping course in the morning and ESOL courses in the afternoon. We had to take the decision for learners to be safe.”
We had heard the strong winds but next thing we all woke up to a big bang. We couldn’t work out what it was. Mowa Errabou