Twelve children and an adult have been taken to hospital after a ceiling collapsed at an independent school in London, The BBC reports.
The incident happened at Rosemead Prep School in Dulwich after a second-floor ceiling in a Year 3 classroom caved in.
London Fire Brigade said three fire engines and 20 firefighters were called to the school, which is housed in Victorian buildings, at about 09.20am.
Sixteen people were treated for minor injuries and all children were successfully evacuated.
A statement from the school said: “This morning in one of our Year 3 classrooms, a ceiling collapsed resulting in the attendance of the emergency services.
“Some injuries were sustained and some of those involved have been taken to hospital and we are working with our students and families to support them.
“Parents and families can be reassured that the school day is continuing as usual today for the rest of the school.”
The school’s chair of governors, Nick Crawford, said no-one had received life-threatening injuries.
The Met Police said officers also went to the school and all children and staff have been accounted for.
“We await an update on assessment of any injuries,” a spokesman said.
It is by no means the first time a school building has failed, endangering the lives of pupils.
Around nine tonnes of masonry fell during a storm at Oxgangs Primary School in Edinburgh in January 2016 due to defects in wall construction. An independent inquiry found that only timing and luck meant there were no injuries or deaths.
The collapse led to the temporary closure of 17 schools across the city and similar defects were detected at other schools in Edinburgh and elsewhere in Scotland.