This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/07/five-killed-by-wall-collapse-at-birmingham-recycling-centre

The article has changed 12 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 7 Version 8
Five men killed by wall collapse at Birmingham recycling centre Five men killed as wall collapses at Birmingham recycling centre
(about 11 hours later)
Five men have been crushed to death after a huge concrete wall collapsed at a recycling site in Birmingham. The bodies of five workers killed after a wall collapsed at a metal recycling plant have been recovered from the rubble.
Police were called to Hawkeswood Metal Recycling in the Nechells area of the city on Thursday morning after receiving reports that a wall had collapsed. Emergency services attended but the workers could not be saved and were pronounced dead at the scene. The final three victims were removed from beneath tonnes of metal and concrete on Friday after a painstaking two-day operation by emergency services involving the use of heavy-lifting equipment.
They said the men, who friends and relatives said were all Spanish and of Gambian heritage, were crushed to death underneath the eight-metre-tall concrete and metal structure shortly before 9am on Thursday. A sixth man sustained a broken leg but managed to free himself from the rubble, the West Midlands ambulance service said. All five workers were pronounced dead at the scene following the incident at Hawkeswood Metal Recycling in the Nechells area of Birmingham at about 8.40am on Thursday.
An investigation into how the collapse happened was under way. A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive confirmed its inspectors had attended the scene and would work with police on the investigation. Police were called to the facility after receiving reports that a wall had collapsed. Emergency services attended, but the workers could not be saved.
Det Supt Mark Payne said: “We are still in the very early stages of this investigation to determine exactly what happened this morning. Sadly five people have lost their lives and we have several teams of specialist officers supporting their families at this time. This has been a very traumatic incident for those who were at the site this morning and we will continue to work alongside the HSE and the other emergency services at the scene.” The men, who friends and relatives said were Spanish with Gambian heritage, were crushed to death underneath the eight-metre-tall concrete and metal structure shortly before 9am on Thursday, police said.
Paramedics said the sixth man was partially trapped by the falling concrete and managed to free himself despite his injuries. A sixth man was partially trapped by the falling concrete and sustained a broken leg, but managed to free himself from the rubble, the West Midlands ambulance service said.
The operation to recover the men’s bodies was expected to take several hours due to the unstable heavy structure. Friends and relatives of the men were at the scene awaiting more information. An investigation into how the collapse happened was under way on Friday. A spokesperson for the Health and Safety Executive confirmed that its inspectors had attended the scene and would work with police.
Manka Sawo, who was among the group, said they had been alerted to the accident by the injured man who rang them at about 9am to tell them what had happened. He said: “It is devastating. I knew one of the men very closely; yesterday we celebrated Eid together. It’s very, very sad. Five of them have lost their lives.” Det Supt Mark Payne said: “We are still in the very early stages of this investigation to determine exactly what happened. Sadly, five people have lost their lives and we have several teams of specialist officers supporting their families at this time. This has been a very traumatic incident for those who were at the site this morning, and we will continue to work alongside the HSE and the other emergency services at the scene.”
He added: “We are looking for information, we don’t know what has happened yet. Everybody here is of a different relation – family, friends, cousins, we are all very close.” Manka Sawo, who was among the friends and relatives at the scene, said they had been alerted to the incident by the injured man, who rang them at about 9am to tell them what had happened. “It is devastating. I knew one of the men very closely; yesterday we celebrated Eid together. It’s very, very sad. Five of them have lost their lives,” he said.
Sawo said the injured man had broken one of his legs and had phoned relatives from hospital. “We are looking for information, we don’t know what has happened yet. Everybody here is of a different relation – family, friends, cousins, we are all very close.”
Slav Angiyu, a 43-year-old truck driver who was on the site when the accident happened, said: “We were reloading the recycling metal into containers which will go to China. I was just about to leave and the guys said: ‘Stop, stop, nobody go anywhere, stay where you are.’ They said it was a major accident. One of the workers said the wall had crashed. I saw one guy lying on the floor and paramedics were putting a mask on him and talking to him. They were trying to resuscitate him. The police came and told me to leave the truck and escorted me out.” Slav Angiyu, 43, a lorry driver who was at the site when the accident happened, said: “We were reloading the recycling metal into containers which will go to China. I was just about to leave and the guys said: ‘Stop, stop, nobody go anywhere, stay where you are.’ They said it was a major accident. One of the workers said the wall had crashed.
He added: “My heart goes out to the families of the victims.” “I saw one guy lying on the floor and paramedics were putting a mask on him and talking to him. They were trying to resuscitate him. The police came and told me to leave the truck and escorted me out. My heart goes out to the families of the victims.”
Assistant chief fire officer Gary Taylor said: “The scene is an extremely challenging one, involving significant tonnage of concrete and metal and a structure that is still unstable. We have an assertive recovery plan in place and expect this operation to take several hours. The skills and services of West Midlands fire service will be available for whatever needs to be done, and we will be working hand in glove with our partners at the scene.” Before the bodies were recovered, assistant chief fire officer Gary Taylor said: “The scene is an extremely challenging one, involving significant tonnage of concrete and metal and a structure that is still unstable. We have an assertive recovery plan in place and expect this operation to take several hours. The skills and services of West Midlands fire service will be available for whatever needs to be done, and we will be working hand in glove with our partners at the scene.”
Hawkeswood Metal Recycling’s website says it has been trading for 40 years and has an “extensive and healthy customer base”, including local authorities and international metal companies. The company trades in ferrous, non-ferrous and precious metals and operates from three sites. Hawkeswood Metal Recycling’s website says it has been trading for 40 years and has an “extensive and healthy customer base”, including local authorities and international metal companies. The company trades in ferrous, non-ferrous and precious metals, and operates from three sites.
In February there was a large fire at the 700-tonne scrap metal recycling plant. More than 20 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze, which started when more than 100 tonnes of shredded scrap metal caught alight in an area covering 2,500 sq metres. In February, there was a large fire at the 700-tonne scrap metal recycling plant. More than 20 firefighters were sent to tackle the blaze, which started when more than 100 tonnes of shredded scrap metal caught alight in an area covering 2,500 sq metres.
In April 2010 the firm was fined £50,000 for breaching health and safety regulations after a worker’s arm was broken when it got trapped in a piece of machinery. The worker, who had been employed by Hawkeswood for six months, later won an undisclosed amount of compensation from the firm. In April 2010, the company was fined £50,000 for breaching health and safety regulations after a worker’s arm was broken when it became trapped in a piece of machinery. The worker, who had been employed by Hawkeswood for six months, later won an undisclosed amount of compensation.
Last year the company had a turnover of £30.3m and a pre-tax profit of £327,036. It had 26 employees, including four managers, according to its annual report. The company had a turnover of £30.3m and a pretax profit of £327,036 last year. It had 26 employees, including four managers, according to its annual report.
David Cameron said in a statement that he was shocked to hear about Thursday’s tragedy. “My thoughts are with the families of those involved,” the prime minister said. David Cameron said in a statement that he was shocked to hear about Thursday’s incident. “My thoughts are with the families of those involved,” the prime minister said.