Matthew Wilson
Breakfast was certainly eventful for New York diners. The ceiling at an IHOP location collapsed on top of them.
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What happened: At least 9 people were injured in New York City while dining at an IHOP. The location was in the Flatlands neighborhood of Brooklyn. The incident happened on Friday, September 5.
Officials release statement: Following the IHOP ceiling collapse, the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) released a statement:
- “EMS treated a total of nine patients, all with minor injuries. Five were transported to area hospitals, and four refused additional medical attention,” the FDNY said.
- “The safety and well-being of our guests and employees is our top priority. We are working to gather more information.”
- “The restaurant will remain closed while inspections are underway,” the spokesperson continued, “and we will take all steps to ensure the location meets our stringent safety standards before reopening.”
IHOP Disaster
Additional details: According to News 12 Long Island, diners were at IHOP when a 10 by 10 inch section of the celling collapsed and fell down. Possible causes include water damage from above. The resulting damage caused the ceiling to fall down on the people below.
One witness described exactly what happened. He said that he was terrified when he heard the ceiling falling behind him. It was quite the chaotic scene.
- “As I’m sitting down, I start hearing noises,” the witness, Jamie Lee, recalled. “And when I turn around, the entire ceiling was collapsing. So I was immediately trying to get out,” he continued. “You know, I come to eat here. And I should have been safe while enjoying my meal. And I wasn’t … I could have been potentially hurt worse than what I am now.”
In the aftermath of the IHOP fall, the Department of Buildings ended up issuing the owner a violation. Allegedly, they failed to maintain the building, causing the disaster. Afterwards, IHOP hung a sign reading, “No Dine In! Thank you.”
