News / International
House collapses in the middle of the night
25 Feb 2012 at 06:08hrs | Views
The house, in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, partially collapsed into its foundations early this morning.
The damage was so severe that the front door has almost been ripped in half, several windows have shattered, and one of the garage doors has come completely off its hinges.
Work on the neighbouring property is believed to have made the ground it stands on seriously unstable.
And it emerged today that the extension work was done by a friend of the family â€" who is not a qualified builder.
A family living in the adjoining house were shaken awake at 4am by a rumbling sound.
Firefighters evacuated the houses and isolated the gas supply to prevent an explosion.
No-one was injured in the drama, but people living in the the home where the work is being done, as well as their neighbours, face an uncertain wait to discover their future.
Neighbour Eldern Noel, aged 43, with his 13-year-old daughter Christine, said: "We heard a trembling and we felt it moving. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming but then my daughter came in and said 'Did you hear that?'.
"A neighbour from across the street knocked on our door, and that's when we knew something serious had happened."
He added: "We are waiting to find out whether there has been any damage to our house. We are concerned but we just have to wait to find out."
The family living in the house where an extension is being built at the front also fled.
Today, the owner of the house, who did not want to be named, said that the work had been carried out by a "family friend" who was not a qualified builder.
He said: "We're waiting to find out how bad it is, I'd rather not talk about it at the moment."
Building inspectors from Wolverhampton City Council were going out to the property today, and it is thought it may have to be demolished.
Steve Burson, from the council's building control department, said: "We are assessing the properties at the moment. The likelihood is its going to have to be demolished either in full or in part.
"Our suspicion is that the foundations have been undermined by the work next door.
"It is too dangerous to go and look around."
Watch Commander Tony Bucknall said: "It is too dangerous for anyone to be in the houses today. It could fall down at any time."
The damage was so severe that the front door has almost been ripped in half, several windows have shattered, and one of the garage doors has come completely off its hinges.
Work on the neighbouring property is believed to have made the ground it stands on seriously unstable.
And it emerged today that the extension work was done by a friend of the family â€" who is not a qualified builder.
A family living in the adjoining house were shaken awake at 4am by a rumbling sound.
Firefighters evacuated the houses and isolated the gas supply to prevent an explosion.
No-one was injured in the drama, but people living in the the home where the work is being done, as well as their neighbours, face an uncertain wait to discover their future.
Neighbour Eldern Noel, aged 43, with his 13-year-old daughter Christine, said: "We heard a trembling and we felt it moving. I wasn't sure if I was dreaming but then my daughter came in and said 'Did you hear that?'.
"A neighbour from across the street knocked on our door, and that's when we knew something serious had happened."
He added: "We are waiting to find out whether there has been any damage to our house. We are concerned but we just have to wait to find out."
The family living in the house where an extension is being built at the front also fled.
Today, the owner of the house, who did not want to be named, said that the work had been carried out by a "family friend" who was not a qualified builder.
He said: "We're waiting to find out how bad it is, I'd rather not talk about it at the moment."
Building inspectors from Wolverhampton City Council were going out to the property today, and it is thought it may have to be demolished.
Steve Burson, from the council's building control department, said: "We are assessing the properties at the moment. The likelihood is its going to have to be demolished either in full or in part.
"Our suspicion is that the foundations have been undermined by the work next door.
"It is too dangerous to go and look around."
Watch Commander Tony Bucknall said: "It is too dangerous for anyone to be in the houses today. It could fall down at any time."
Source - The Sun
