posted 01-03-2011 03:53 AM                    

quote:

---

One person's screams may have saved dozens of lives after ceilings in a Bathurst cinema complex collapsed during an intense storm in central west NSW.

None of the 36 cinema-goers were seriously injured after four ceilings at Bathurst's Metro Cinema complex caved in at 12.45pm (AEDT) on Monday.

Cinema-goers said one person who spotted the cave-in screamed loudly and most people had time to duck under their seats before the ceilings hit the ground.

One woman told Sky News she was watching a movie when the sound of running water alerted her to danger.

"All of a sudden someone screamed and we looked up and the whole ceiling just collapsed on everybody," the woman, who was unnamed, said.

"The person screaming made everyone look up and most people managed to get on the floor between the chairs."

The ceilings collapsed after a severe storm in Bathurst brought hail and heavy rain.

Many families were in the cinema on the public holiday to watch films including The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader and Gulliver's Travels.

Three women, one of whom is pregnant, were taken to hospital, and many children were extremely upset following the incident, Ambulance NSW superintendent Susan Webster said.

But she said it was extremely lucky no one was seriously injured or killed.

"It was a very difficult situation and there was a huge and very quick response from combined emergency services," she said.

"Obviously it was very traumatic for a lot of people involved."

Bathurst Police Inspector, Tony Hoolahan, told reporters that police would carry out a forensic analysis of the building once it was determined structurally sound.

"We'll know more as time goes on but obviously it's something to do with this large rain event we had," Insp Hoolahan said.

A State Emergency Services (SES) spokeswoman said the inside of the cinema was "a mess".

"We could see the suspended ceiling sitting on top of the chairs and a lot of air-conditioning vents ... sitting on top of that," she said.

Following the collapse, Fire and Rescue NSW used thermal imaging cameras to sift through the rubble to rescue those trapped inside, while others stumbled out of the building unassisted.

Ambulance NSW, police, Urban Search and Rescue and SES volunteers were all involved in the rescue effort.

Two children were briefly unaccounted for but were later found safe and well, Ms Webster said.

"We worked through the cinemas row by row to make sure there was no-one else trapped and no children hiding under seats," Ms Webster said.

Many people suffered minor head and shoulder injuries, while all were treated for cuts and abrasions, paramedics said.

The most severe case was a woman in her 30s who was taken to Bathurst Base Hospital with a shoulder injury.

Another woman in her 30s was taken to hospital for assessment, while a third, who is pregnant, voluntarily went to be checked out.

A number of roadblocks are in place and motorists and pedestrians are asked to avoid Piper and George streets until further notice.

---