Surveillance video captures moment BJ's roof collapses with customers nearby
Authorities say all 27 people inside the store were safely accounted for after the partial roof collapse.
Surveillance video captured the moment part of the roof collapsed inside a BJ's Wholesale Club in Ocean Township, sending customers running for safety.
The collapse of the roof over the bakery section of the store happened around 11:30 a.m. as heavy rain and severe flooding moved through the area.
The chief of police in Ocean Township says that none of the 27 people inside of the store were harmed when the roof gave way. It happened at around 11:30 a.m. as Ocean Township was experiencing downpours and severe flooding.
“We did evacuate everyone out of the building. There were reports of two individuals trapped. They did escape the building. There was probably about a 20% roof collapse on the west side of the building and water was just pouring in," said Chief Michael Sorrentino.
(Mayor John Napolitani of Ocean Township verified to News 12 this surveillance video, which is now going viral, was taken inside the BJ's during the collapse.)
Ken Kalada, of Lincroft, was inside at the time of the collapse shopping for laundry detergent.
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“I mean it was a thunderous boom. It made my ears ring. There was a girder nearby and I just leaned into that. There was a lot of yelling a lot screaming," said Kalada.
He told said his instinct was to get out as quickly as possible, fearing the entire roof would fall in.
The building will need a full inspection from a structural engineer who will decide if the the building needs to be torn down or repaired.
