Students, staff evacuated from Oakland Park school after the roof partially collapsed

OAKLAND PARK, Fla. – Students and staff were evacuated Friday morning from James S. Rickards Middle School after the roof partially collapsed in the media center, which is under construction and had no one inside.

The incident took place at around 10 a.m.

Oakland Park spokeswoman Shannon Vezina confirmed there was a water leak at the school at 6000 NE Ninth Ave. which resulted in the partial collapse of the roof, which left extensive damage.

In total, there were 184 students and 55 staff on campus when the incident occurred. They were evacuated to Northeast High School, where parents could pick up their children.

Broward County Public Schools confirmed that there was no one in the media center when the incident occurred, but Local 10 News reporter Hatzel Vela was later told that 13 students and staff on campus had been checked out by first responders, five of whom were taken to hospitals .

The injuries were reportedly minor and not directly related to the roof collapse, but rather due to experiencing symptoms such as headaches and nausea.

Advertisement

Authorities said the principal heard two loud bangs before discovering that the roof had partially collapsed.

“Before 10am this morning, the principal was in his office when he heard a noise followed by another noise,” said Keyla Concepcion of Broward County Public Schools.

The media center has been under construction since mid-last year as part of an ongoing project.

Firefighters ransacked the building to make sure no one was trapped.

“We also brought a dog to search the entire school to make sure no one was inside, as well as a drone to check that there is no one in the roof who might have been injured in the collapse,” said Chief Steve Krivjanik of the Oakland Park Fire Department.

Local 10 News spoke to parents who ran out to pick up their kids.

“I panicked,” said one of them. “I literally just got out of the shower, put on some clothes and came right here.”