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Two in hospital after building collapses in Oldham

Georgie DockerNorth West
News imageBBC A partially collapsed building that shows roof tiles strewn over a pile of debris a scaffold hangs nearby. A number of emergency workers stand nearby.BBC
Five people were inside when the building collapsed

Two people have been taken to hospital after a building surrounded by scaffolding collapsed on a street in Greater Manchester.

Emergency services were called to the terraced building on King Street in Oldham at about 12:40 GMT on Tuesday after its front partially collapsed.

Five people were inside and managed to escape, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service said.

People have been warned to stay away from the area where roads have been shut - as engineers from Cadent fix a gas main that was damaged by the collapse of the building.

News imageCharlene Louisa Martin A partially collapsed building that shows roof tiles strewn over a pile of debris a scaffold hangs nearby. Charlene Louisa Martin
Five people were inside when the building collapsed

North West Ambulance Service confirmed the injuries of the two people taken to hospital were not thought to be serious.

The building is owned by Oldham Councillor Kamran Ghafoor, who has declined to comment on the incident.

Local businessman Kwok Wong, who owns Ree Ming Chippy in Royton, told the BBC he had arrived in the town centre to find the building collapsed.

"All the emergencies were there already when I arrived," he said.

"But the building was a mess. Air ambulances landed on top on Mecca Bingo roof."

News imageKwok Wong Building collapsing as people watch onKwok Wong
Police and fire services are on scene at King Street in Oldham town centre - where air ambulances have been cicling following the collapse of a building

Three ambulances and one air ambulance were deployed to the area, along with a hazardous area response team.

The ambulance service said a medical team that included doctors and paramedics were also sent.

News imageGoogle Maps Street view of a shop front. It is a convenience store with a sign reading: 'Euro King Mini Market, Open 7 Days' is visible behind the sheer screen of a Bee Network bus shelter.Google Maps
The building had been home to a Euro King Mini Market

A fire service spokesperson said: "At around 12:40 GMT this afternoon three fire engines from across Greater Manchester were called to an incident involving a collapsed building on King Street, Oldham."

News imageKevin Fitzpatrick/BBC A yellow police tape runs across a road in Oldham with emergency services seen gathering in the distance. Kevin Fitzpatrick/BBC
A large cordon was put in place in the area where several roads were shut

Engineers from Cadent Gas were on site at King Street, where a large cordon was in place amid road closures and a build-up of emergency vehicles.

Chris Campbell, operations manager at the firm said on Tuesday: "Our engineers are currently on site securing a damaged gas main, caused by the collapse of a nearby building earlier today.

"We are working closely with the emergency services and are awaiting confirmation that the site is safe for our teams to access the gas pipe and isolate the supply to the affected property."

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