Two Seriously Injured in Hammersmith Scaffolding Collapse

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Workers hurt on the Civic Centre development site


A police car at the scene following the collapse

Two builders have been injured after scaffolding collapsed on a building site in Hammersmith. Onlookers’ flats were left shaking ‘like an earthquake’ as scaffolding crashed down at the Hammersmith Civic Centre development.

Police were called to the scene at 5.45pm on Wednesday (11 May) after residents nearby heard a huge bang. Joyce Frimley, 81, who was asked to evacuate her flat said, “There was a banging and then the place shook. It made me jump all day. It could have been a bomb.”

Erick Dos Santos was working across the road when the incident occurred and said there was a “massive banging noise”. Meanwhile, Radomir Grkovic, who lives opposite Hammersmith Town Hall, said the ground “shock like an earthquake”.

Radomir said, “I was in the flat. I just heard banging and it just shock. It was like an earthquake. It shook twice. It shook and then a couple of seconds later it shook again. I looked through the window and I couldn’t see anything. All I know is that something fell.”

Erick said,“At around 5.30pm it was a normal working day really. These guys finish at around 6pm. We had the door open. We heard a massive banging noise which sounded like something had fallen from quite a high distance. I didn’t see it but around 10 minutes later at around 5.45pm we started to see police cars arriving, the fire brigade and emergency services as well.”

Romano Dublin-Wilson, who lives right next to the Town Hall site said, “You can see part of the structure is bent. I think a crane fell on the structure. The right side is bent – it must have fallen on that.”

Officers have confirmed two men were rushed to hospital but their injuries are not life threatening. Building works have been halted in the meantime.

A Met Police spokesperson said, “At 5.41pm on Wednesday May 11 police were alerted to an incident at a construction site in King Street, W6.

“Officers attended to assist the London Ambulance Service and London Fire Brigade. Two men were taken to a Central London hospital where they remain. Their injuries have been assessed as non-life threatening. The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.”

A London Air Ambulance helicopter was also called to the scene and landed nearby on Furnivall Gardens.

The housing project is being completed by A2Dominion on the behalf of Hammersmith and Fulham Council. An A2Dominion spokesperson said: “We are aware of an incident that occurred at the Town Hall site earlier this evening. Our thoughts and best wishes are with all those involved, particularly the two men who have been injured. Our immediate priority is supporting Hammersmith and Fulham Council and the emergency services with their ongoing investigations.”

Jacob Phillips - Local Democracy Reporter

May 12, 2022