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Man trapped as building collapses Man killed as building collapses
(about 3 hours later)
A fire service sniffer dog is searching for a man thought to be trapped after the roof of a block of flats caved in the Black Country. A man has died as a block of flats collapsed in the Black Country.
The incident, above an estate agents, happened in High Street, West Bromwich, shortly after midnight.The incident, above an estate agents, happened in High Street, West Bromwich, shortly after midnight.
The weight of the collapsed roof caused the floors below to give way. Police said it would take hours to retrieve the body of the man, believed to be in his 30s, as the building was in danger of further collapse.
Two men were rescued by firefighters and taken to hospital while two others managed to make their own way out of the three-storey building. Two men were rescued and were taken to hospital with minor injuries. Two others made their own way out of the three-storey building.
The fire service said it thought a fifth person may still be inside. West Midlands Police said the weight of the collapsed roof caused the floors below to give way.
A spokesman said paramedics declared the trapped man dead several hours after the building collapsed.
'Pancake downwards''Pancake downwards'
The men taken to hospital suffered minor injuries. He said it was too early to say if the man had died as the building collapsed or after being trapped in the rubble.
A fire service spokesman described the incident as a "catastrophic failure" of the roof, adding: "The roof has collapsed inwards, which has caused the floors below to pancake downwards towards the ground floor."A fire service spokesman described the incident as a "catastrophic failure" of the roof, adding: "The roof has collapsed inwards, which has caused the floors below to pancake downwards towards the ground floor."
The cause of the collapse is unknown. Tony Prosser, area commander for West Midlands Fire Service, said firefighters were being hampered by the precarious state of the building.
The Carter's Green end of High Street is expected to be closed for much of the morning. He said: "The problem we have is that half of the roof of the building is still precariously balanced on top of the gable end wall."
The cause of the collapse is unknown and police said it was too early to say if there were suspicious circumstances.
The Carter's Green end of High Street is expected to be closed for much of Wednesday.