AROUND 200 people are temporarily homeless after being evacuated from a Ramsgate town centre tower block on Saturday morning.

A buildings safety inspection is under way by Thanet council in the aftermath of a flood when a water pipe leading to the main tank burst and cascaded down the stairs and lift shaft at the 15-storey Trove Court at Newcastle Hill.

Residents from the 90 flats, who were put into emergency accommodation by the council or made their own arrangements, were allowed back into the building today to collect belongings before a local authority inspection tomorrow.

They are expected to return later this week once a full safety check has been carried out. The building will have to be fully dried out before the electricity is turned back on.

Thanet council leader Cllr Sandy Ezekiel praised the way that residents reacted to the drama and said it highlighted the Council staff were thanked for being "cool, calm and collected" in dealing with the emergency, while the Red Cross and St John Ambulance teams who collected people from the top floors of the building were also praised.