The roof of a cafe came crashing down on diners in the city of Novosibirsk in southern Siberia, killing one woman and trapping several other people under rubble. Some 200 people managed to flee the scene of the collapse.
One person was confirmed dead, and four others were taken to hospital after the roof of a cloakroom adjacent to the cafe collapsed on Saturday night. Two of the victims are currently in surgery, while the other two casualties have since been discharged.
The cafe was packed with diners at the time, and some 200 people managed to evacuate on their own, local emergency services said.
While an investigation into the incident is still at an early stage, it is believed that the roof may have collapsed under the weight of snow.
The cafe itself did not sustain any damage, as it was built from brick and concrete. It was the ramshackle structure – a wooden cloakroom, adjacent to the building – that failed to withstand the weight of snow accumulated on its roof, emergency services said.
Around one meter (40 inches) of snow was piled on its roof at the time of the collapse.
Some 80 rescuers and 25 units of equipment were rushed to the scene in the immediate aftermath of the incident to clear the debris and search for survivors.
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