KEY POINTS:
Diners at a Gisborne restaurant were fortunate to escape injury after a half-square-metre chunk of its centre peak broke off in last night's earthquake and crashed on to an outside table.
People normally use the outside tables at The Works, but didn't last night because of wet weather.
"It was a Godsend that it was raining," said owner Tony Taylor.
"Otherwise those guys would be dead."
A massive hole estimated at a square metre large remains among the rubble on the outside deck.
Most of the damage was centralised to the outside building structure, although the Goldenvines wine cellars were yet to be checked upon.
Mr Taylor described the affected furniture as "absolute pancakes".
Remaining bricks from the former abattoir were pushed out while large cracks ran through the outside walls and threatened the future of the building.
"That is why we can't go in," Mr Taylor said from behind a cordoned off section. "In case, the rest of it goes."
The Works building is in the process of being sold, and final paperwork was expected to be signed next week.
Mr Taylor was not at the restaurant at the time but received a call from staff saying "the building is falling down".
The broken peak fell though some brand new outside sails that were bought for the summer season.
Mr Taylor was unable to describe the financial loss the business will face. He anticipated it would not be open for at least two to three weeks, the busiest time of the year for Gisborne.
- NZPA
