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One dead after crane collapses on houses in east London Woman dead after crane collapses on houses in east London
(about 1 hour later)
At least four others injured after 20-metre-high crane falls on two houses in Bow At least four other people injured after 20-metre-high crane falls on two houses in Bow
A person has died after a crane collapsed on to two terraced houses in east London, trapping people inside, the fire service has said. A woman has died after a crane collapsed on to two terraced houses in east London.
London fire brigade said crews were searching houses as part of a complex rescue operation after the 20-metre-high crane fell in Bow at 2.39pm on Wednesday. London fire brigade said she had been found on the first floor of one of the houses in Bow and had been confirmed dead at the scene. Crews had been searching the houses as part of a complex rescue operation after the 20-metre-high crane fell in Bow at 2.39pm on Wednesday.
London ambulance service said four people had been treated at the scene in Gale Street, two of whom had been taken to hospital with head injuries, while a fifth person had been found dead. A number of crews and a team of specialist paramedics who work in hazardous environments were responding to the incident. London ambulance service said another four people had been treated at the scene in Gale Street, two of whom had been taken to hospital with head injuries, while a fifth person had been found dead. A number of crews and a team of specialist paramedics who work in hazardous environments responded to the incident.
A woman whose home was damaged said her family are lucky to be alive. She did not wish to give her name but told the PA news agency, said she felt “traumatised”.
She said her home is next door to the one which felt the full impact of the crash, and said the collapse sounded “like an earthquake”. She said: “I came out of the bathroom and if I had come out a second later, the attic door which is above could have fallen on me and that would have knocked me out. The way that everything fell – if my brother or sister had been in their rooms which is where it hit directly, I just cannot bear to think about it.”
A witness, who lives in a nearby block of flats on Watts Grove, said she saw the crane collapse while working from home. Bridget Teirney, in her 30s, said: “I was sitting at my computer facing out as it happened. It made a huge loud noise and a big plume of dust came up.”A witness, who lives in a nearby block of flats on Watts Grove, said she saw the crane collapse while working from home. Bridget Teirney, in her 30s, said: “I was sitting at my computer facing out as it happened. It made a huge loud noise and a big plume of dust came up.”
She said she saw the crane fall through the top storey of a building site before it collapsed on to the homes, trapping two men including the crane’s driver.She said she saw the crane fall through the top storey of a building site before it collapsed on to the homes, trapping two men including the crane’s driver.
According to Teirney, emergency services arrived within five minutes and gave the driver a rope to climb down from the crane’s cabin, while the other man was pinned under the boom.According to Teirney, emergency services arrived within five minutes and gave the driver a rope to climb down from the crane’s cabin, while the other man was pinned under the boom.
“It was absolutely crazy. I rushed straight out on to the street,” said Teirney, who was evacuated along with other residents of the neighbouring flats.“It was absolutely crazy. I rushed straight out on to the street,” said Teirney, who was evacuated along with other residents of the neighbouring flats.
The London fire brigade assistant commissioner Graham Ellis said: “A 20-metre crane has collapsed on to a block of flats under development and into two terraced houses on Compton Close. Our urban search and rescue crews are undertaking a complex rescue operation and using specialist equipment to search the properties. The London fire brigade assistant commissioner Graham Ellis said: “A 20-metre crane collapsed on to a block of flats under development and into two terraced houses on Compton Close. Our urban search and rescue crews undertook a complex rescue operation and used specialist equipment to search the properties. Sadly one woman died at the scene. The London ambulance ervice have confirmed that two people were taken to hospital with head injuries and a further two were treated at the scene.”
“This is a multi-agency response and is likely to be a protracted incident. I would ask people to avoid the area.” The crane that collapsed was being used by Swan Housing Association and NU living. A spokeswoman said: “Swan Housing Association/NU living is deeply saddened by an incident that has occurred at our Watts Grove development site this afternoon. Our thoughts are with those affected and their families at this difficult time.”
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “We were called at 2.42pm today to reports of an incident involving a crane collapsing near Watts Grove, Bow. Work on the site began in 2018 where the one, two and three-bed shared ownership apartments are replacing an electrical substation building, according to the NU living website.
“We dispatched a number of specialist resources, including an advanced paramedic, ambulance crews and our hazardous area response team, with the first of our medics arriving within three minutes.
“We treated four people at the scene. We treated two of these patients for head injuries and took them to hospital and we assessed the other two patients at the scene. Sadly, despite the efforts of emergency services, a fifth person was found and died at the scene.”