A woman was hospitalised after a ceiling partially collapsed on her in a block of flats plagued by flooding issues and leaks.
Gemma McAllister, who lives at the Moat housing association block on King George’s Close in Rayleigh, was struck by the roof of the block’s communal area after residents gathered to mop up a water leak.
Part of the roof came crashing down following the failure of a valve in the communal water tank which caused it to overflow, weakening the structure of the ceiling.
Residents at King George’s Close have been plagued with water issues and in May the Echo reported on leaks in the block of flats which had left elderly homeowners slipping in puddles and children living in mouldy properties.
Gemma, who went to the hospital following the incident, says she was diagnosed with concussion and is still suffering from migraines as a result.
The 31-year-old said: “I went downstairs to let a friend in and as I left my front door, I saw a everyone out in the communal hallway with their buckets, trying to fight back the water, which had begun leaking into the building.
“It was out of control, so I told my neighbours we needed to call the fire brigade to control the water. As the fire brigade arrived, the whole roof fell onto me, and I slipped as I was trying to get away from it.
“I was stood there cleaning the water with my mop, when I heard everyone scream ‘it’s coming down’. It hit me and I fell backwards and hurt my back and head. I’m in absolute agony.”
Shocking images from the scene show residents struggling to stem the flow of water before the roof partially collapses onto Gemma.
Gemma only moved into the block in September last year but says she is already looking to get out as she fears for her safety.
A spokesperson from Moat said: "We are very sorry to hear of the partial ceiling collapse at King Georges and the injury to our resident.
“The failure of a valve in the communal water tank caused it to overflow onto the ceiling below. Although this fault could not have been anticipated, we understand residents' frustration given the roof leak earlier this year. We have contacted all residents affected to give them any support they may need.
“The water tank and ceiling were repaired within a day. We are also delivering a full programme of refurbishment works as quickly as possible and will continue to keep residents informed of our progress.”
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