Partial roof collapse at Canada mall, evacuation
Jun 23, 2012, 10:03 PM
ELLIOT LAKE, Ontario (AP) – A roof has partially collapsed at a busy mall in Canada, prompting an evacuation and a search for anyone who might have been injured.
A portion of the roof that serves as a parking area crumbled Saturday afternoon, exposing metal and concrete supports at the Algo Centre Mall in Elliot Lake. The center had been bustling with weekend shoppers.
Joe Drazil, a Zellers store employee, says a few cars appear to have fallen through the gaping hole near escalators. He says everybody was cleared from the mall.
The collapse also triggered a gas leak and prompted emergency officials to shut off the mall’s power.
Provincial police say they can’t confirm whether anyone is hurt or missing.
Mayor Rick Hamilton has declared a state of emergency.
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