Mum reveals horror of Pontins roof collapse which left six people hospitalised
21 February 2019, 12:15 | Updated: 21 February 2019, 12:18
Families were left fearing for their lives as debris rained onto children and adults at the seaside resort.
A mother has told of the terryifiying moment holidaymakers at Pontin's were left fearing for their life when the roof collapsed, leaving 18 people injured.
Kids were left screaming in fear as debris fell from the roof at the entertainment centre of the Brean Sands resort near Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset.
Six people were rushed to hospital following the shocking incident which happened during a family bingo session.
Mum Kelly Mansell, 38, said her children had been dancing when the collapse unfolded about two metres from them.
She told The Sun Online: "I thought it was a bomb, it was such a loud bang."My ten-year-old saw it fall and just started screaming."
Kelly says she immediately made a dash for the exit, adding: "There were big panels of insulation and people screaming.
"I helped a few people to move out. It was very dusty."I had a black top on and I was covered in dust and insulation. It got all in your eyes."
Read more: Dirty duvets, overflowing bins and more: 24 hours at Pontins
The trauma is still proving too much for Kelly and her family, which includes four-year-old twins Ellis and Jenna and ten-year-old daughter Kady, whom she claims have been having sleepless nights since it happened.
She said: "They couldn’t sleep last night. We just came here for a cheap getaway with family but didn’t realise we would be risking our lives."
A statement from the Avon and Somerset Police said they were called just before 6.30pm on Wednesday night to Brean Sands Holiday Park in Brean following reports a ceiling had collapsed inside a building.
Read more: Mum abandons £1,200 Pontins holiday over fears for baby's health
They said: "A number of people suffered minor injuries in the incident but thankfully no one was seriously hurt."A search of the scene has been carried out and we can confirm no one was trapped under the debris.
"The Health and Safety Executive have been informed."
The Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue service said they were sent to the scene, and once it was made safe the crews were sent home.
They said in a statement: "The incident involved the collapse of approximately 40m of structural ducting and ceiling sections, exposing live damaged electrics and making the scene unstable.
"Fire crews used eight high-pressure airbags and small tools to establish that no persons were trapped beneath the collapse."
