British tourist among three injured as building cornice collapses in Menorca

A BRITISH tourist was among three people rushed to hospital after a cornice broke off a building in Menorca and fell on top of them.

Two of the victims are known to have suffered head wounds and broken bones.

The incident happened just before 11am yesterday in a square in the town of Ciutadella on the westernmost end of the island.

The three women hurt, the Brit aged 65 and two Greeks aged 37 and 38, were sitting on a cafe terrace in Placa Nova in the historic centre when the decorative cornice collapsed.

They were assisted at the scene before being taken to the nearby Juaneda Hospital by ambulance.

Local police raced to the scene and cordoned off the area where the debris lay on the ground.

Firefighters were also called out to secure the facade of the building affected.

There has not yet been any official update on the conditions of the three tourists.

A police investigation into the incident was ongoing this morning.

Ciutadella Town Hall said in a statement: “Yesterday morning at 11am, the 112 emergency service received an alert reporting the collapse of part of a cornice from a building located in Placa Nova.

“As a result of the incident, three people who were on the terrace of an establishment were injured and transferred to Juaneda Hospital in an uncertain condition.

“The emergency services responded immediately. In less than a minute, several local police units that were already in the area, in Cathedral Square and Born Square, were at the scene

“Two emergency medical assistance units were also deployed, including an advanced life support ambulance, along with three Fire Brigade units, the municipal architect, and three National Police patrols, who helped to secure the area.”

It added: “The council extends its full support and best wishes for recovery to the injured individuals and their families.”

Last month five people were taken to hospital when part of a ceiling collapsed on holidaymakers at the three-star Poseidon Palace Hotel in Benidorm.

The incident happened around 2.20pm on April 5 when sections of plasterboard and air conditioning ducts collapsed on top of around 60 guests eating in the hotel dining room.

The five people who needed hospital treatment were aged 33 to 80. An eight-year-old child and a man aged 78 were given medical assistance at the scene.

Days later two people were hurt when the floor gave way as guests were having dinner at the Rey Don Jaime Hotel in Santa Ponsa in Mallorca.

More than 150 people were evacuated after the April 9 scare.

The 520 holidaymakers staying at the hotel near Magaluf were later transferred to other hotels belonging to family-owned brand Zafiro.

Fire chiefs confirmed the closure decision after an inspection, saying the owners had decided on the move.