Store’s ceiling tiles give way after rain pours in
Sudden downpour affects busy Morrisons supermarket
Ceiling tiles collapsed and water poured into a busy supermarket as heavy rain struck Maidstone. Shoppers had to be evacuated from Morrisons in Sutton Road just before 3pm on Sunday, with fire crews called to the store. Video footage emerged showing shoppers and staff looking on as water pours from the ceiling into the store, with tiles smashed on the floor.
Then customers can be heard gasping in horror as more tiles crash down into another aisle. Another customer, Becky Seymour, said: “As someone that was standing at the checkout with the ceiling falling next to me, yes this was real.
“The whole ceiling down the middle of the store collapsed with the water flooding the store.”
She said ambulances arrived within minutes, adding: “Staff did amazing once they evacuated - jumping in to help direct traffic and get people safely across the car park.”
Megan Slater was also in the store as the chaos unfolded. “Me and my younger sister were queueing at the chemist and the ceiling by the cafe came completely through and it was travelling over the tills and down towards the exit through the middle,” she said.
“There were quite a few screams and then the alarm went off.”
Barriers have been put up in front of the store and at the entrance to the car park and after engineers were called in, the supermarket reopened on Monday morning.
A fire service spokesman said crews carried out a check of the external roof and found no damage. There were no reported injuries.
In 2014, tiles fell near the supermarket’s bakery after water was seen leaking through roof panels.