News that part of the roof of terminal 2E at Paris Charles de Gaulle has collapsed over a boarding area of about 30m, at 7h this morning (the BBC reports that at least six people were killed and three hurt, which the radio currently confirms as probably definitive.) Flights (Air France / Sky Team alliance) from New York and Johannesburg had just arrived at the terminal. Passengers were also preparing to board a flight to Prague.
This terminal is the most recent one built at CDG, it was inaugurated on June 10, 2003 and its opening temporarily delayed (I recall it was because a light fell out from the vault during a security inspection) and finally opened on June 25. Its architect is Paul Andreu, currently building the great opera of Beijing (see "Grand Théâtre National de Chine" on this page.)
P.S.: apparently three of the dead victims were policemen who tried to establish a safety perimeter just before the collapse. P.P.S.: wrong report from the local media, those policemen escaped safe from the accident. There are four dead and three injured victims.
That's terrible news. Did you use this terminal on your recent visit to New York?
Yes, several times. It's where the Air France flights to the U.S. usually depart now.
Yes, I was there, too, with my sister a few weeks ago nice looking, had no idea it wasn't, um, safe.
Scary, my g/f worked in CDG 2E just a few days before the collapse...