Several skating rinks in Massachusetts in the United States have been closed in the recent weeks over fear of roof collapse due to build up of heavy snowfall.  

One such incident occurred early Saturday morning at the Metropolis Skating Rink in Canton, Massachussets, when a major roof covering the skating rink suddenly fell.

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The Norwood youth hockey team was playing in the rink when the rear portion of the roof began to fall.

 "We heard a snap and knew something was wrong," Norwood Nuggets coach Chris Sharkey recalls.

Sharkey says at the time that the roof was beginning to collapse some kids were on the ice, while others were in the locker room.

Then, they heard a second snap.

Sharkey says people began to scream, ordering all the kids to get off the ice and get out of the building as quick as possible.

Canton Fire Chief Charlie Doody narrated that due to the air pressure from the collapse, a coach was thrown across the rink.

Fortunately, no one was injured.

The players were able to get out , along with their parents and rink workers.

All are now safe and accounted for, says the police.

Debris and snow that fell along the roof filled the floor of the rink.

The incident also destroyed a part of the building's front facade.

Despite the roof collapse, Doody still feels grateful.

He says if the incident took place a couple of hours later, it could have been much worse.

"We are so blessed," he says.

Had it occurred at 9 in the morning, there would have been 200 skaters in the rink.

Five to six-year-old kids were set to take the last day of their "learn to skate" class for the season.

Parents were supposed to accompany their children.

Doody says, "had this occurred two hours later, it would have been a very, very different case."

A mother, Lynn Valkanas, and her 9-year-old daughter, Laura, were just outside the building at the time of the collapse.

They are supposed to attend the 9 am skating class.

Her daughter says,  "this is scary. I have a lot of memories here."

An evaluation on the structure is now being conducted by state and local building inspectors.

A spokesman for the Department of Conservation and Recreation said the rink is one of the 42 owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Tagssnow, skating