Snow Contributed to Apartment Roof Collapses in Montville

At least 20 residents are displaced from an apartment complex in Montville after the roof collapsed late Monday evening. After investigating this morning, the fire marshal said the weight of snow contributed to the collapse.

Residents of Mount View Apartment complex said they heard loud creaking before the collapse and state police responded to the two-story complex at 1591 Route 32 around 11:40 p.m. on Monday after get reports of the noises from the roof.

There are 17 apartments in the building, which is located behind the Montville Post Office, and four were unoccupied when part of the roof caved in on the second floor in one of the units.

Donna Bellucci said she is lucky to be alive after the roof of her apartment came crashing down last night.

"These giant beams came down, right through the roof," she said. I could've been killed. No lie. Everytime I think about that noise and the beams coming -- They came through my ceiling like paper."

Police deemed the entire building unsafe for residents to sleep in overnight, so they were evacuated and displaced overnight, but possibly longer.

The fire marshal said on Tuesday that the roof was being repaired and the last two snowstorms contributed to the collapse.

"The snowload on the roof pushed down on the trusses and it expanded out about 1 foot, making it unsafe," Montville Fire Marshal Raymond Occhialini said.

Twenty people have been displaced and are being put up at a local hotel, officials said on Tuesday. They were allowed to get some necessities, including medications, if escorted back into the building by a firefighter or police officer, but the building has been condemned.

Mohegan Sun provided a bus to take anyone else who didn't have a place to stay to the Mohegan Fire Department on Route 32. Red Cross helped with the shelter at the department.

Some pets are still inside the apartments and officials said they will work with the residents on Tuesday morning to find them a temporary place to stay if needed, state police said.

"I have nothing now. I'm supposed to start a new job today, which I won't be," Bellucci said. "I'm devastated."

Montville police and firefighters, state police and the Montville fire marshal responded and a couple Montville officers were stationed at the building until morning to monitor the apartment complex.

Laura Tompkins, another resident, said she too will have to figure out how to relocate again. 

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