Six Injured in Roof Collapse at Castleberry Hill Restaurant [Updated]

A collapsed roof at Blu Cantina in Castleberry Hill left six people injured Monday night, reports 11 Alive. Most of the injuries were minor, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but four people were sent to the hospital, including one person with a head injury.

"Out of nowhere, the roof collapsed,” Tiara James, who was in Blu Cantina at the time, told the AJC. “I honestly thought that [the restaurant] was getting shot up, so I was ducking and diving like trying to get over stuff, like is everything okay?"

The collapse reportedly occurred around 8:40 p.m. Fire officials haven’t determined the cause, but with storms rolling through the city on Monday, weather may have been the culprit: “Sometimes flat roofs accumulate a good [amount] water if there's not enough drainage, or if there's a heavy amount of water and that just accumulates and the drainage can't handle it,” Sgt. Cortez Stafford of the Atlanta Fire Department told Fox 5. A section of Peters Street between Fair and Walker Streets was closed down in the aftermath so officials could ensure the structural integrity of adjacent buildings.

“There were a lot of people standing outside that were accumulated around the restaurant at the time,” Stafford told Fox 5. “We had to move those people back because we were not sure if there was going to be a further collapse of the building, of the roof. And it could have been a lot more severe than it was if more people were standing directly under where the roof collapsed.”

It’s unclear how long Blu Cantina will be out of commission as it recovers from the disaster. Eater Atlanta has reached out for more information.

Update: July 18, 6:15 p.m. A Blu Cantina spokesperson says the restaurant is “closed until further notice.”

“The safety of our patrons and staff is our first and foremost priority,” reads an official statement. “At the time this event took place we immediately contacted local emergency response officials. With support from City of Atlanta Fire Rescue and Police Department, all patrons and staff were evacuated. Those injured were assisted or transported for treatment. We are currently working closely with our property owner to identify the source of the collapse.”

• Roof Collapses on SW Atlanta Restaurant, Injuring Six [11 Alive]
• 6 Hurt After Roof Collapses at Atlanta Restaurant [AJC]
• Firefighters: Weather May Have Caused Roof Collapse; 6 Injured [Fox 5]