Roof Of New Terminal Collapsed

At least five people are dead after the roof of a new, showcase terminal collapsed at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris Sunday. As ANN was published, a frantic search continued for survivors who might have been trapped in the rubble.

"Time is a factor. We have to get to the injured as quickly as possible," fire brigade spokesman Laurent Vibert said. Rescuers had brought in dogs to help sniff out those still trapped in the debris.

A 160- by 100- foot section of the tunnel-like structure collapsed without warning Sunday morning at about 7:00 am local time. It happened less than a year after the terminal, beset by construction delays, was opened to the public.

Flights from around the world -- including one from Newark's Liberty International -- were arriving when the roof fell down, according to local authorities. It was unclear whether a sixth victim had been killed or was missing.

While French authorities have ruled out the possibility that the collapse was triggered by an act of terror, the cause of the accident will be the center of an intensive investigation, authorities said.

"It's like a scene after an earthquake," said one firefighter.

"We still don't know the cause but it might have been a construction fault," said Jean-Paul Huchon, president of the greater Paris region.

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