Posted on 12/08/2003 8:28:35 AM PST by I_love_weather
Building has collapsed...
Uptown Theater
TORONTO - Part of a downtown Toronto building collapsed on Monday, trapping as many as five people.
A wall of the Uptown Theatre fell onto the neighbouring Yorkville English Academy, trapping students as young as eight years old under rubble, said a teacher at the school.
The collapse occurred at about 10:35 a.m. ET.
The school was one of several nearby buildings damaged in the collapse.
Demolition work has been underway at the historic theatre, which was to be reconstructed.
Fire and rescue crews rushed to the scene near the busy Yonge-Bloor intersection.
Bloor Street was closed between Yonge and Bay streets.
Tow trucks took parked cars away from the area to make room for emergency vehicles, and workers checked for gas leaks.
The nearby subway lines were unaffected.
The theatre was built in 1920, and served as a venue for movies and live shows.
Written by CBC News Online staff
Students feared caught in T.O. theatre collapse
CTV.ca News StaffThere has been a cave-in at the demolition site of the historic Uptown Theatre in downtown Toronto. Emergency crews have rushed to the scene near the city's central Yonge and Bloor intersection.
The collapse occurred late Monday morning, damaging several nearby buildings including one that housed the private Yorkville English Academy.
A teacher at the English as a second language school told local news station CP24 that the north of the his huilding took the brunt of the collapse.
"A piece of the wall from the theatre... that they were demolishing fell through the length of the building," he said, adding that many students were exiting the building and using computers in that area at the time.
There are reports as many as five students may have been trapped in the rubble.
Toronto EMS spokesperson Peter Ritolo said, "We do have some people trapped and we're dealing with trying to get them out safely."
But as police, fire and ambulance crews rush to assess the situation they have, so far, offered no additional comment.
The Uptown Theatre was opened as a cinema and live stage venue in 1920.
Toronto Fire Urban Heavy Rescue Team (formed after 9/11) on scene now. Some injuries, manily walking to paramedics, one person hurt bad and on stretcher.
Best updates: www.cfrb.com - they have an obvious Listen Now link (requires quick SurferNETWORK plug in)
I was thinking the same thing ... what idiots
Sending prayers to the kids trapped
Al Qaeda?
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