Coveta Fumà chapel miracle

Eight church-goers dodge death as roof collapses

EIGHTY people had a miraculous escape this Sunday, when the small chapel in Coveta Fumá, Campello, crumbled to the ground just 10 minutes after they had left the premises

he Ermita de Nuestra Señora del Perpetuo Socorro dates from 1965, it is located off the Plaza Don Carlos, which is named after the Car- los Poveda, who built the chapel.

Sunday mass at 10.00 took place as normal, and by 10.55 it was over and everybody had left, although the priest was still outside chatting to a couple who wanted to get married there, when a loud noise was heard and the roof and one of the outer walls of the chapel came crashing down.

Luckily no one was killed or seriously injured, three cars parked in the plaza were complete buried under rubble, while a woman who had just parked her car was bruised while trying to escape.

Authorities and an ambulance were quickly on the scene, and the area was cordoned off and some of the chapel’s religious artefacts were recovered from the rubble.

Two weeks ago, leaks in the roof had been repaired and some cracks were detected. The congregation was currently looking into ways of raising the €6,000 needed for the repairs.

Experts believe the collapse was due to the lack of reinforcements to support the roof.

The chapel comes under the dioceses of Orihuela.

Church authorities have assured that anyone affected by the incident is covered by an insurance policy.