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QUAKE SPECIAL: Did the earth move for you?
ONE of the biggest earthquakes ever to hit the UK shook South Yorkshire in the early hours of today - leaving one man injured after a chimney collapsed on top of him.
The whole county was rocked by the quake which measured 5.2 on the Richter scale and struck at around 1am.
In Wombwell, Barnsley, a man was rushed to hospital after a chimney stack collapsed and pieces of masonry fell through the roof into his attic bedroom.
Read the stories of Star readers who were rocked by the quake and tell us what happened to you, click here.
David Bates, aged 19, of Barnsley Road, suffered pelvis injuries and was taken to Barnsley District Hospital where former Barnsley College student was today due to undergo an operation.
His father, Paul, said: "We'd gone to bed when all of a sudden I was woken by a large rumbling noise and then I heard David shouting 'Dad'. I ran upstairs and there was a piece of the chimney lying on top of him on the bed. I realised he was injured - he was in a lot of pain."
Paul's Sister-in-law Vicky Ellerington added: "I can't believe how much mess it's made. His bed is directly underneath that gaping hole. He may have damaged his pelvis but had it landed on his head he would be dead."
Neighbour Alex Moxon, 23, said: "He's a lovely lad and looking at all the rubble around that huge gaping hole he's lucky to be alive."
Paul, his wife Vanessa and daughter Ruth, 12, were all told it wasn't safe for them to stay in the house and a cordon has been erected. Structural engineers will be examining the house later today.
Meanwhile in Josephine Road, Holmes, near Rotherham, a boy playing computer games when bricks tumbled through the ceiling of his home from the chimney breast.
And in St John's, Eastwood, a family heard loud rumblings and ran outside to find a massive hole in their chimney. Firefighters were called from Barnsley with a hydraulic platform to shore it up.
The epicentre of the quake was at the hamlet of Holton cum Beckering, near Market Rasen - about 15 miles north of Lincoln - but the impact was felt all over the UK and as far away as Belgium.
Former Lib Dem councilor Peter McLoughlin is urging Sheffield Council to undertake checks on all high rise flats following the earthquake.
Peter, a former housing spokesman who lives on the 14th floor of the Robert Shaw building in Netherthorpe, said: "I have lived all around the world and have experienced earthquakes before but I have never been as scared as last night.
"The whole building shook, it was like we were under attack. It was a really scary experience.
"All my neighbours are saying the same thing.
"The council should take a look at the building and assure residents that they are safe."
No other injuries have been reported but fire crews, police and the ambulance service were inundated with calls by frightened residents and reports of chimney breasts collapsing and buildings shaking.
South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said a number of residents called about collapsed chimneys in Barnsley, Doncaster and Rotherham but no damage was reported in Sheffield.
A spokesman for South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue said: "We received 13 calls about the earthquake where fire crews were actually required to attend.
"We received a further 25 or so from people who need general advice - for example what to do if roof slates had come loose etc.
"We expect to receive more as people wake up. Most calls were in the Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster areas."
Scores of Sheffield residents woke to shaking doors and walls and alarms sounding.
In Gleadless, an entire tower block of flats shuddered from the impact.
Many people gathered outside in their streets, desperately trying to find out what was going on.
Houses were shaken in areas all over Sheffield including Hunters Bar, Totley, Dore, Firth Park, Pitsmoor, Highfield, Crookes and the city centre.
Fire crews were called to a house in Thorne, Doncaster, after part of the chimney of a semi-detached house in South End collapsed.
The house was occupied by a woman and her son but neither was injured. The debris was cordoned off in case of after-shocks.
The quake was also felt in Chesterfield and Derbyshire Fire and Rescue took several calls although no injuries were reported.
Seismologist Dr Brian Baptie of the British Geological Survey said: "The is a significant earthquake for the UK and will have been widely felt across England and Wales".
The BGS warned that aftershocks might be felt throughout the morning.
Keep watching thestar.co.uk throughout the day for more on the earthquake.
READ MORE OF OUR QUAKE SPECIAL:
Star readers rocked by tremor
Tremors 'very significant'
Earthquakes: The facts
Main news index
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Weather for Sheffield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
