Students evacuated from Northumbria halls after Storm Arwen rips off wall 40m in the air

The university has confirmed no one was hurt and staff have been praised for their hard work


Students living in Trinity Square Student Accommodation had to be evacuated last night after Storm Arwen ripped off the panelling to one block’s central stairwell, risking residents being exposed to the gale force winds approximately 40 meters in the air.

At around 8.30pm, large sections of the wall were ripped off leaving the stairwell completely open to the elements.

No one was hurt in the incident, and within 15 minutes all residents of the affected and surrounding floors were evacuated and kept safe and warm in the accommodations communal area.

Students were then relocated to temporary accommodation in Northumbria’s Claude Gibb halls.

One student recounted “All you heard was a loud bang and then the wind howling in the corridors”

Staff were praised for their swift action keeping everyone safe during the incident, with students calling them “amazing” and “brilliant”

Another said “The staff have been amazing. Even in these horrible times, they made us laugh. They dealt with the situation really fast and efficiently.”

Last night the region was issued with a rare red weather warning form the Met Office, warning of a “danger to life” posed by the conditions.

A spokesperson from Northumbria University told The Tab: “The high winds of Storm Arwen caused damage to some stairwell windows in one of our accommodation blocks at Trinity Square last night.

“The health and safety of our students and staff is our highest priority and so, as a precautionary measure, we moved students living in the block to alternative accommodation for the evening. We expect that they will return to their rooms after repairs are carried out.”

Damage occurred in other parts of the city too

 

The university accommodation teams have received praise from students for their swift action, it’s understood students have also been given a voucher contributing towards paying for essentials during the disruption.

This wasn’t the only damage caused last night, lots of debris has been found all over the city, many organisations cancelled plans including Women’s Street Watch NCL.

The Tyne and Wear Metro service also remains closed with replacement bus services being provided.

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