February 19, 2010

No injuries in Pennsylvania arena roof collapse

ROSTRAVER, Penn.

A large section of the roof of a skating rink collapsed while the ice was being resurfaced during a youth hockey tournament, but no one was injured.

The collapse happened at the Rostraver Ice Garden, about 48 kilometers southeast of Pittsburgh.

Emergency crews searched the building using cadaver dogs and thermal-imaging cameras following the Valentine’s Day accident.

The hockey teams were in the locker room when a 100 foot-by-200 foot (30 meter-by-60 meter) section of the roof fell in, and the only person on the ice was the worker who was resurfacing it with a Zamboni, a small vehicle used to smooth the rink’s surface, he said.

There was confusion soon after the collapse, with people unaccounted for, and authorities wanted to thoroughly search the building before declaring that everyone was safe, he said.

Kim Little, a line cook in the rink’s restaurant, said people inside heard a crack minutes before the roof dropped.

“The whole roof just fell in, and you could see the sky,” Little said.

The cause of the roof collapse hadn’t been determined.

Associated Press

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