Eleven people were evacuated from their homes in Notting Hill, west London, after multiple properties suddenly collapsed in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Emergency services rushed to the scene following what was described as a "catastrophic structural collapse" affecting three properties in the affluent neighbourhood.
Three roofs collapsed in the incident on McGregor Road, forcing residents to flee in the middle of the night.
All residents were safely rescued with no major injuries reported.
Fire crews were first alerted to the incident at 1.10am, with two fire engines from North Kensington and a fire rescue unit from Chelsea responding to the scene.
The first fire engines arrived within three minutes of being notified.
A 32-metre turntable ladder from Paddington fire station was also deployed to assist with the rescue operation.
The majority of residents were brought to safety via an internal staircase.
One person, whose home was on the lower ground floor, had their exit blocked by rubble, requiring firefighters to use a ladder to bring them to street level.
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Residents were provided with helmets from the fire rescue unit as a precautionary measure to protect them from any further falling rubble.
Firefighters carried out a systematic search of the building to ensure no one else remained inside.
Crews remained at the scene until approximately 3am before handing over to emergency service colleagues and the local authority.
A police cordon remained in place after fire crews departed.
There are now concerns that multi-million-pound properties in the street could be structurally unsafe.
London Fire Brigade's Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: "The crews were the first emergency responders to arrive and quickly set about determining whether anyone was still inside the properties."
A spokesperson for Kensington and Chelsea Council said: "We were alerted to a possible roof collapse in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Officers immediately rushed to the scene to assess the incident.
"Thankfully no one was injured and we provided accommodation and refreshments for residents who needed somewhere to stay."
The council added that structural engineers and building control teams were on site early Wednesday morning.
One local resident described the terrifying moment the collapse occurred: "There was this awful cracking sound, then crashing. We thought a tree had fallen or a vehicle had hit the house - when we realised it was the roof collapsing, people were running out in panic."
The council anticipates disruption in the local area throughout the day, including road closures.
"Our structural engineers and building control team were on site very early this morning and are assessing the structures," the council spokesperson said.
It was suggested that a front gable end on a row of houses gave way.
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Emergency services rushed to the scene following what was described as a "catastrophic structural collapse" affecting three properties in the affluent neighbourhood.
Three roofs collapsed in the incident on McGregor Road, forcing residents to flee in the middle of the night.
All residents were safely rescued with no major injuries reported.
Fire crews were first alerted to the incident at 1.10am, with two fire engines from North Kensington and a fire rescue unit from Chelsea responding to the scene.
The first fire engines arrived within three minutes of being notified.
A 32-metre turntable ladder from Paddington fire station was also deployed to assist with the rescue operation.
The majority of residents were brought to safety via an internal staircase.
One person, whose home was on the lower ground floor, had their exit blocked by rubble, requiring firefighters to use a ladder to bring them to street level.
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Residents were provided with helmets from the fire rescue unit as a precautionary measure to protect them from any further falling rubble.
Firefighters carried out a systematic search of the building to ensure no one else remained inside.
Crews remained at the scene until approximately 3am before handing over to emergency service colleagues and the local authority.
A police cordon remained in place after fire crews departed.
There are now concerns that multi-million-pound properties in the street could be structurally unsafe.
London Fire Brigade's Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said: "The crews were the first emergency responders to arrive and quickly set about determining whether anyone was still inside the properties."
A spokesperson for Kensington and Chelsea Council said: "We were alerted to a possible roof collapse in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Officers immediately rushed to the scene to assess the incident.
"Thankfully no one was injured and we provided accommodation and refreshments for residents who needed somewhere to stay."
The council added that structural engineers and building control teams were on site early Wednesday morning.
One local resident described the terrifying moment the collapse occurred: "There was this awful cracking sound, then crashing. We thought a tree had fallen or a vehicle had hit the house - when we realised it was the roof collapsing, people were running out in panic."
The council anticipates disruption in the local area throughout the day, including road closures.
"Our structural engineers and building control team were on site very early this morning and are assessing the structures," the council spokesperson said.
It was suggested that a front gable end on a row of houses gave way.
Find Out More...