Families evacuated after homes ‘collapse’ in middle of the night as debris strewn across street in Notting Hill

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FAMILIES have been evacuated from a street in west London after their homes collapsed in the middle of the night – with some people having to be rescued.

Debris was left strewn across high-end McGregor Road in Notting Hill after the front gable end of three properties broke away.

Debris on the sidewalk after a roof collapse. — Emergency services were scrambled in the early hours of Wednesday morning

Debris from collapsed building roofs in Ladbroke Grove. — The front gable end of three properties collapsed

Firefighters at night responding to a building collapse. — Firefighters were called to the scene at 1am on Wednesday

The fire service was called at around 1am on Wednesday, with 11 people forced to vacate their homes – though no-one was injured.

London Fire Brigade Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: “The first of our fire engines were on scene within three minutes of being notified about this incident.

“The crews were the first emergency responders to arrive and quickly set about determining whether anyone was still inside the properties.

“The majority of residents who were still inside were brought to safety by crews via an internal staircase.

“One person, whose home was on the lower ground floor, saw their exit blocked by rubble so firefighters used a ladder to bring them to street level.

“Residents were also provided with helmets from the fire rescue unit as a precaution as they were leaving the property to protect them in the event of any further falling rubble.

“Crews carried out a systematic search of the building to check no one else was inside and after liaising with partners at the scene, left the incident in the care of emergency service colleagues and the local authority.”

A Kensington and Chelsea Council spokesperson said: “We were alerted to a possible roof collapse in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

“Officers immediately rushed to the scene to assess the incident and establish if residents needed support from the Council.

“Thankfully no one was injured and we provided accommodation and refreshments for residents who needed somewhere to stay.

“Our structural engineers and building control team were on site very early this morning and are assessing the structures.

“We anticipate disruption in the local area, including road closures, throughout the day. We’re grateful for the swift work of the emergency services.”

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