A SHOPPING CENTRE in Galway was evacuated yesterday evening as parts of the building were damaged by heavy rain and sudden flooding.

One woman was taken to hospital as a precaution amid the incident.

The Galway Fire and Rescue Service and gardaí attended the scene and implemented a safety cordon around the premises.

The EYE Cinema at the shopping centre has cancelled upcoming screenings and is closed until further notice due to damage.

Photos and videos from the shopping centre yesterday show large volumes of water moving at pace inside the building.

Galway County Council confirmed to The Journal that shortly before 6pm, the Galway Fire and Rescue Service attended the scene of a roof collapse at the cinema. 

“There was considerable damage to the cinema internally and some cars in the car park from the roof collapse, which may have been caused by an accumulation of water on the roof structure, which as a result flooded into the cinema,” it said.

“The quick actions of cinema staff in evacuating the screen once notified of a leak prevented potential injury to the patrons at the time.”

The fire service left the scene at approximately around 7.40pm. 

A garda spokesperson confirmed that gardaí assisted the Galway Fire and Rescue Service at the scene.

“The area was evacuated and a safety cordon put in place,” the garda spokesperson said.

“One female was conveyed to University Hospital Galway as a precaution.”

The EYE Cinema alerted customers via social media that it has been forced to close down temporarily.

In a post on Facebook, it said that “due to unforeseen structural damage to our building this evening, we regret to inform you that The EYE Cinema will be temporarily closed until further notice”.

“If you have tickets booked for upcoming screenings, please do not travel to the cinema as the premises will not be accessible. We will provide regular updates and further instructions as soon as possible,” the cinema said.

“We sincerely apologise for the disruption this has caused and truly appreciate your patience, understanding, and support during this time.”

A Status Yellow weather warning was in place in Galway yesterday, along with Clare, Donegal, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo.

Met Éireann warned of “significant rainfall accumulations from heavy showers and longer spells of rain”.