30/09/2004

Co Antrim families evacuated after building collapses

A building has partially collapsed in Co Antrim resulting in 25 families being evacuated from their homes.

Part of Ambler's Mill in the Taylor's Avenue area of Carrickfergus collapsed at around 10pm on Wednesday with fears that children, who had been playing nearby, may have been trapped inside.

A subsequent search of the collapsed 80ft section of wall by fire crews with heat-seeking equipment found no casualties in the five storey building which is currently being converted into apartments.

A spokesperson for the fire service said the area had to be thoroughly checked before families could return to their homes.

"This is an old mill, it's a five storey building and a wall had collapsed initially of about 60 metres in area - so it covered quite a large area that we had to check thoroughly," he said.

(MB/GMCG)

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