Three blocks of a Dublin apartment complex have been evacuated this morning after roofing was blown off.
The incident occurred at Carrickmines Manor development on the Glenamuck Road, Dublin 18. The roof blew off one block and landed in a nearby field, while it lifted slightly in the other two blocks. There were no reports of injuries.
According to one resident, who alerted the fire brigade at 8.49am, there are 28 apartments in each block, with many young mothers and children living there. "If it the roof had gone the other way [away from field], it would have been a disaster," he said.
A number of people returned to the development this morning after hearing the news, including one man whose wife and children had to go to a shopping centre to shelter earlier today.
Carrickmines Manor resident Hazel Melbourne said she felt like she was in a scene from the Wizard of Ozwhen she saw the roof fly past her second floor apartment at 8.30am.
“I was sitting on my couch putting on my make-up and getting ready for work when the roof literally flew by me,” said Ms Melbourne. “There was a massive bang and it crashed on a portable building out the back. We were very lucky it went in that direction, otherwise it would have come through the glass.”
Ms Melbourne (32) said firefighters had evacuated residents from their homes within 20 minutes of arriving.
The roof, which appeared to be made from plywood and MDF, was ripped off one of the larger five-storey blocks in the complex.
Property management company Wyse were on site with developers Pierse Homes helping to rehouse residents. It is understood the affected block was not full and had only been completed in the last 12 months.
Gardaí and emergency services are currently at the scene. The area remains sealed off with residents preventing from returning to their apartments.
Traffic is being stopped from entering the estate near the M50/N11 junction. It has been reported those living in the affected block are to be temporarily housed at local hotel.
Fine Gael TD Olivia Mitchell called for a full safety audit on all high rise buildings in elevated areas following this morning's incident.
"We must be grateful that nobody was seriously injured this morning in Carrickmines and it is imperative that Dún Laoghaire Rathdown Co Council finds housing for those evacuated," she said.
"I believe a full safety audit on all high rise buildings in elevated areas must be carried out immediately in order to avoid disaster in the future. We need to establish that all such buildings were finished to the relevant wind speed regulations which apply at these elevations.
"As well as inhabited apartment blocks there are dozens of empty and half-completed apartment block buildings in this elevated area," she said. "Some of these are in the hands of receivers or are about to pass into the control of Nama."
According to the Carrickmines Manor website, the development is a combination of one-, two- and-three bedroom apartments, three-bedroom duplex houses and three-, four- and five-bedroom houses.
It is understood a flat roof was also ripped off another apartment block in nearby Sandyford recently.
Additional reporting PA