Irish woman miraculously escapes building collapse

AN Irish woman miraculously survived the devastating earthquake in New Zealand after deciding at the last minute to go out for lunch just before the building she worked in collapsed.

Angela Mullin, 28, from Blackrock, Dundalk, Co Louth, decided to go out for her lunch break instead of heading to the canteen where she would usually eat, just as the 6.3 magnitude quake hit the city.

The third floor of the building — where the canteen was — collapsed seconds later.

Angela, who is a sub-editor with the Christchurch Mail escaped uninjured as her work mates were trapped in the rubble.

The Trinity College journalist graduate said: “I was going to go up to that floor to the canteen to eat my lunch but at the last minute I thought, ‘I will go for a walk’.

“I am glad I didn’t go up there — that is the floor that collapsed.

“The third floor of the building collapsed on top of the second floor.

“I was at the front door and bits of the building started falling down in front of me.

“Scary, scary. I am ok and most people I know, thank God.”

Her dad Michael said yesterday that it was a miracle his daughter was safe and told of his relief when he heard her voice on the phone.

Michael said: “It is a miracle she escaped without any injuries. A guardian angel must have been looking after her.

“The top floor of the building she was in collapsed and a lot of her work mates were trapped.

“It was lunch-time and she was going to go to the canteen on the floor that collapsed but she decided to go out instead.

“Just as she was leaving the building and walking out the door bricks started falling and one of the floors collapsed.

“She managed to get a lift out of the city to the suburbs and thankfully is safe and well.

“It was a terrifying experience for her, but she is recovering well.

“Thankfully all her colleagues were rescued from the building.

“The office she works in is just opposite Christchurch Cathedral that collapsed. She is very lucky.

“The apartment she lives in was also damaged from the earthquake.

“She does not know to what extent it is damaged as the city is cordoned off and she is staying in the suburbs.

“She has a lot of Irish and Kiwi friends and thankfully they are all alright.

“Thank God she is ok, she is very lucky.”