The roof of a church on Union Street in New London has collapsed and the governor said that state emergency personnel have responded to help with response efforts.
Photos from the mayor show that a large part of the roof is gone and videos from people who passed by show large amounts of rubble.
New London police are asking people to avoid the area around Union, State and Masonic streets.
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The building next door, which houses Connecticut College students, has been evacuated. All of the students living inside will be displaced and relocated to a nearby hotel through the weekend, Mayor Michael Passero said.
The New London Fire Department, along with campus safety, immediately evacuated Manwaring Apartments. An alert was also sent to students. The Red Cross will be assisting students to provide essentials they might need while displaced, according to college officials.
Photos: Church collapse in New London
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During a news conference, Passero said officials believe the building is a total loss.
"As you see, we've suffered a very serious setback here in New London," Passero said.
Contractors will be at the scene overnight and officials said they will demolish the two steeples left standing in the morning. They're considered to be unsafe at this time.
Crews expect to search through rubble overnight. They're moving stones to prepare for heavy equipment coming in to start demolition on Friday, according to Passero.
Several agencies responded to the scene to assist with the investigation, including the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), which is checking to see if there is any contamination in the air from the collapse.
Connecticut State Police, Urban Search and Rescue, Public Works crews and more also responded.
One person was inside the church at the time, but she was able to get out safely and is uninjured. Authorities said they don't believe anyone else was inside when the collapse happened.
State rescue crews are using dogs to search the rubble to be sure.
The fire marshal's office is working to determine the cause of the collapse. There is no indication by the congregation or city that anything was wrong with the building.
Engaging Heaven Church, which is located at 66 Union St. in New London, said the building is destroyed, but the church is thriving and strong.
"You can count the luck involved in this a million ways. The building was empty, there were no services. The building fell in upon itself. It did not fall, for instance, onto State Street, onto the dormitory to the West, or onto City Hall to the East," Passero said during a news conference.
Gov. Ned Lamont issued the following statement about the collapse:
“I am in communication with State Police and emergency management officials regarding the church collapse in New London and we have deployed state emergency services personnel and equipment to assist in response efforts. I urge everyone in the area to follow the direction of law enforcement and other first responders who are working to keep the community safe.”
New London City Hall and the post office are closed until further notice, according to police.
The church was built in 1810 and they added an addition to it in 1975, according to property records.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the New London Fire Marshal's Office at 860-447-5294.
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