Dozens of Kids Escape Roof Collapse Unharmed

30 young kids were inside Milestones Children's Center in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, when the front awning came crashing down

 It's was a hectic morning for two-year-old Matthew Pena.

"I think he is ready for a nap right now," said his dad, Francisco.

Matthew was one of about 30 young kids inside Milestones Children's Center in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, when the front awning came crashing down at about 11:30 Wednesday morning.

"I wasn't too scared because they put in bold letters that everybody was safe," Pena said about the email he received from Matthew's school.

The kids evacuated the building and were bused to a nearby parking lot, where parents picked them up.

"At no time were kids near the front of the building," said Tewksbury Fire Chief Michael Hazen. "The staff did a fantastic job of keeping the kids calm and moving them to the back building."

Co-Owner of Milestones Maureen Porter tells NECN there are eight units inside the MGM Plaza, but that there are only three businesses including a karate gym, a salon, and the school.

"If it was early in the morning or late afternoon when people are going in and out, this might be a different story," Pena said.

Once he knew Matthew was okay, his main concern was trying to rush home from work.

"My first reaction was what's the train schedule," Pena said.

He works in Boston and relies on the T.

"Luckily, I caught the train on time," Pena said.

Pena says there were no delays and now there's just one more stop before nap time.

"You want a happy meal," he asked Matthew.

Chief Hazen tells NECN the building has been inspected and that it is structurally sound. Now, it's just a matter of cleaning up before businesses can open again.

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