A 2m bar fell through a glass ceiling at a library in the centre of Bristol narrowly missing readers. Multiple eyewitnesses told BristolLive it landed close to people reading.
The bar, described as around two metres in length, took out a glass panel from the historic roof. Work is currently being done on the roof of the library, which was built in 1906 and is a Grade I-listed building.
Bristol City Council confirmed that no-one was injured and that the room was evacuated quickly but will remain shut temporarily while a new bar and glass panel is reinstalled.
A mum said that her daughter was “nearly hit” by the bar. She said: “My daughter was in the Reading Room at about midday revising. She heard glass smash, looked up and saw a scaffolding pole [later confirmed to be the glazing bar] falling towards her from outside the roof of the library.
“She nearly got hit by the scaffolding pole that smashed through the glass roof. Thankfully she heard the glass smash and reacted quickly, so was unhurt.”
The parent contacted Bristol Libraries on Facebook, who said: “Thank you for contacting us and we hope your daughter and her friend are okay. Our staff reacted quickly and correctly to make sure all customers were safe.
“While the Reading Room was evacuated and then closed, other library spaces were available to use. Thankfully no-one needed medical assistance and we are working with Property & Health and Safety colleagues to investigate the incident.”
Another person who was in the Reading Room said that the experience was ‘quite alarming’. She said: “A large metal rod (about two metres long) fell through the glass roof in the quiet reading area and landed very close to someone working there.
“It was quite alarming. I left almost immediately after as there was no evacuation in process (except in the immediate area – the room was not shut off) but it felt unsafe. I didn’t stop to take photos but I saw other people taking pictures.”
The council confirmed that the glass ceiling will be boarded up as a precaution during the remainder of the works and that further investigations will take place to ensure the safety of visitors. It added that the council apologises for any distress and inconvenience caused.
A Bristol City Council spokesperson said: “ On Monday a glazing bar worked loose and came through the glass ceiling of the Central Library’s Reading Room as a result of work being carried out on the roof of the building. Thankfully, no-one was injured, and visitors to the Reading Room were evacuated quickly and safely before being checked over and offered support from our staff.
“The space will be temporarily closed to the public while we securely install a new bar and replace the glass panel, while carrying out further investigations to ensure it is safe for visitors to return. We apologise for any distress and inconvenience this may have caused.”
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