Frightened patrons of an upscale restaurant panicked when a huge boulder suddenly crashed from above and landed on the ground just inches from where they were sitting.
Customers at the Ottomenzo Café in upscale Kensington, west London, feared for their lives when a huge block of brick fell from the listed building following a strong gust of wind.
The heavy block fell to the ground just millimetres from the head of a young woman and slammed into the leg of a chair. Onlookers said it was like an “earthquake”.
The woman, who survived unharmed, remained at the scene for an hour after the incident. A nearby dog was covered in dust and her fellow customers were stunned.
Emma Baxter-Wright, who went into the pub for a drink with a friend who works around the corner, was asked to vacate her table near the building as staff feared further masonry could collapse.
The fashion journalist and stylist said: “My God, it could have killed someone. We were lying on the table and they said: ‘Ladies, you just can’t do that. You could die.'”
Customers at the Ottomenzo Cafe in upscale Kensington, west London, feared for their lives when a huge block of brick fell from the listed building following a strong gust of wind.
The heavy block crashed to the ground just millimetres from a young woman’s head and hit the leg of a chair. Onlookers described the bang as an “earthquake”.
Pictured: Where the huge piece of masonry was before it fell to the ground
A dog named Bingo was left covered in dust after the block crashed into the sidewalk next to him, leaving a crater in the flagstones
Emma Baxter-Wright (right), who went into the pub for a drink with a friend who works around the corner, was told to vacate her table near the building as staff feared more brickwork could fall down.
“They said if we stayed there, we would be risking our lives.”
A fire department was immediately dispatched to the scene and arrived within ten minutes. Firefighters immediately worked to secure the area. Officials were stunned by the “huge” boulder.
Where the boulder fell, a crater was left in the stone slabs, while the surrounding pavement was covered with dust.
Cafe owner Francesco Cicoria, 58, said he was in shock when the masonry collapsed to the ground.
He told MailOnline: “Luckily there weren’t many people there. But it was very scary.”
“I didn’t expect it. There were no signs. It just came from above. It was unexpected. A shock.”
“People were very relaxed – of course the person sitting there was a bit shocked. Now you look up every time you walk and be careful. He said it happens very rarely. One in a million.”
“I was there – I was talking outside. I was sitting there 20 minutes before. I was lucky that the lady came and wanted a table, so I got up. But if I hadn’t done anything else… It’s scary.”
Open since 1995, the restaurant is run by Francesco and his brother Emidio in the heart of Kensington – just a short walk from the homes of stars such as Sir Lewis Hamilton, David Beckham and Robbie Williams.
The owner of the cafe, Francesco Cicoria, 58, said he was in shock when the masonry collapsed to the ground
The huge piece of masonry crashed into a young woman’s chair leg as it fell to the sidewalk
A fire truck was dispatched to the scene and arrived within ten minutes. They worked quickly to secure the area. Officials were speechless at the sight of the “huge” boulder
The Italian restaurant continued after the horror incident – and customers enjoyed the warm summer evening with an Aperol Spritz
A lady sitting opposite the girl who narrowly escaped a collision said she would certainly have died if her seat had been just a few inches to the left.
The Italian snack bar continued operating even after the horror incident – customers enjoyed the warm summer evening with an Aperol Spritz.
Coco Cottam, 22, had gone for a drink with her 10-year-old dog Bingo when the masonry fell from the sky.
She was sitting across from the girl who had narrowly escaped being hit and said that if her seat had been just a few inches to the left, she would have surely died.
She explained: “It was pretty scary. My dog was covered in dust. There was a big gust of wind and a little bang.”
“There was a girl sitting there and it got stuck in her chair leg. She was sitting right next to it.
“If it had been a foot above that, she would have been dead for sure. You can see the hole in the sidewalk. It’s not ideal.”
“All’s well that ends well, but if it had lasted a little bit longer…”
“Everyone behaved very differently. The woman who was almost killed stood here for about an hour – without drinking anything. She just stood there.”
Coco Cottam, 22, had gone for a drink with her dog Bingo, 10, (pictured) when the masonry fell from the sky
The waitresses working in the cafe were horrified when they reacted to the huge noise outside their workplace. Pictured: Goska, Gokce and Tosia
Where the boulder fell, a crater was left in the stone slabs as the surrounding pavement was covered with dust
“The lady over there, who was far out of danger, was very agitated. The dog is completely relaxed! She didn’t care. She came out covered in dust, but she didn’t know what that meant.”
The waitresses working in the cafe were horrified when they responded to the enormous noise outside their workplace.
One of them, Goska, said: “I heard a sound as if something heavy had broken. I thought an umbrella had collapsed. It was such a loud sound, such a terrible sound.”
“It was close. Imagine if that had happened to you – you’re sitting there, drinking something and then there’s a huge bang.”
“At first we were just shocked. Someone could be dead.”
Tosia, who had come to the UK from Poland to visit her aunt who works in the cafe, said she was afraid to sit outside after the boulder.
She said: “It was like an earthquake. I thought to myself: something like this happens every day in London?”
And Gokce, who was sitting with the two, joked that they were “celebrating life” as they enjoyed the evening sun.
Tosia’s aunt was standing right next to the woman when the boulder fell.
She added: “I just served a table next to it. I’m still in shock.”
“This is no joke. I’m still in shock. Especially because it’s my niece and she’s coming to London for the first time today.”
“It just shows you that every day you are only millimeters away from death.”
“The people who were involved are now gone, but they were fine.”
The RBKC Council was asked for comment.
