Terrifying moment roof COLLAPSES on shoppers at busy store sparking panic and sending shelves flying
Surveillance footage captured the dramatic moment the roof of a BJ’s wholesale store in New Jersey partially collapsed due to torrential rain.
The roof collapse occurred around 11.15am on Monday in Ocean Township, located along the Jersey Shore, according to the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office. The area was being slammed by heavy rains and was experiencing severe flooding.
A total of 27 people, including employees and shoppers, were inside the BJ’s at the time of the collapse. No one was injured, the sheriff’s office said.
Two people became partially trapped but were able to free themselves without the help of first responders.
The surveillance footage, which has been going viral on social media, shows shoppers calmly milling through the aisles moments before the roof suddenly collapsed.
Debris can then be seen falling into a huge pile as water gushes down and pushes tables and shopping carts along the ground.
One elderly man can be seen getting bumped and swept forward by one of the tables, though he remained on his feet and is reportedly unharmed.
‘We were lucky. If you’ve seen any of the video footage from within, there are some lucky people there,’ Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden told NBC News.
Surveillance footage captured the moment that a New Jersey BJ’s roof partially collapsed. Shoppers are pictured in the store just before the collapse
The roof suddenly came down due to torrential rain in the area, which was causing severe flooding
Water gushed in from the collapsed roof and pushed tables and shopping carts around. An elderly man could be seen getting swept forward by one of the tables
A huge pile of debris was left on the ground as the water gushed in. No one was harmed, according to police
The sheriff’s office said that the Monmouth County Urban Search and Rescue Team ‘conducted a comprehensive search of the building,’ and a secondary search conducted by a sheriff’s office drone and K-9 units confirmed that no one was trapped or harmed.
The collapse drew a large, multi-agency response from the Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, MedStar, the Monmouth County Urban Search and Rescue Team, Ocean Township Police and Fire Districts 1 and 2.
‘There was probably about a 20 percent roof collapse on the west side of the building, and water was just pouring in,’ Ocean Township Police Chief Michael Sorention told News12 New Jersey.
Ken Kalada, who was in the store at the time shopping for laundry detergent, told the outlet: ‘It was a thunderous boom. It made my ears ring. There was a girder nearby, and I just leaned into that. There was a lot of yelling, a lot of screaming.’
He added that he left the store as quickly as he could, fearing that the rest of the roof would also come down.
The BJ’s will be closed indefinitely until a structural engineer can conduct a full inspection to determine whether the entire building needs to be torn down or whether it can be repaired.
The BJ’s where the collapse occurred, located in Ocean Township along the Jersey Shore, is pictured. The store will be closed indefinitely until inspections are completed
The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office took the opportunity to remind the public ‘of how quickly severe weather can create dangerous and unpredictable conditions.’
‘We commend all first responders who worked with urgency under challenging circumstances,’ Sheriff Golden said in a statement.
‘Despite the ongoing flooding and severe weather affecting our communities, all worked seamlessly together to ensure everyone was safely accounted for. Their dedication and teamwork exemplify the very best of public safety,’ he added.
