City centre building collapses in ‘major incident’ leaving at least one person seriously injured
- Police said a building collapsed in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter around 6pm
- Pictures showed fire crews, ambulances and police gathering at the scene
- One person discharged at scene, one had minor injuries, third ‘seriously injured’
A building partially collapsed in Birmingham city centre yesterday evening, injuring three people.
Authorities were called to the city’s Jewellery Quarter just before 6pm on Wednesday in what they described as a ‘major incident’ and pictures showed search and rescue crews gathering outside a Victorian building.
West Midlands Ambulance service confirmed it had been called to a ‘wall collapse’ and said one person had been treated on the scene but discharged, another was taken to hospital with minor injuries, and a third had ‘serious injuries’.
The damage was not immediately visible from street level because the collapse reportedly took place towards the back of the building.
Emergency services on the scene after a building collapsed on Vittoria Street in The Jewellery Quarter just after 6pm
Both ambulance and fire crews were pictured on the scene as they searched through the building for people
A spokesperson for West Midlands Police said in a statement: ‘Police were called to reports that a building on Vittoria Street in Hockley, Birmingham had collapsed just before 6pm this evening.
‘It’s understood that at least one person has been seriously injured.
‘Officers are currently at the scene with fire and ambulance colleagues. The health and safety executive have been informed.
‘Vittoria Street is closed to allow for emergency services to investigate the cause of the collapse. Members of the public are asked to avoid the area.’
The West Midlands Ambulance Service tweeted: ‘One patient discharged on scene, one taken to hospital with minor injuries and one patient has been seriously injured.
‘We are working with Police and Fire colleagues at scene. Update to follow.’
Crews raced to the scene after persons were reported trapped in the building, which collapsed to the rear of the property
After the collapse the building was revealed to be a 19th century, grade II-listed industrial building according to onlookers.
Onlookers said a wall collapsed inside the Unity Works, Grade II-listed building on Vittoria Street.
The building was built in 1865 as a toolmaker works, and onlookers said a building project had been underway.
The building was made for Henry Jenkins & Sons, a die sinker and tool maker.
During the First World War, the company produced munitions under contract to the Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (BSA).
It made more than one million rifle oilers for Lee Enfield rifles which were used by the European and American armies.
Chamkaur Sandu owns the building on the corner of Regent Place and was alerted by the sight of many ambulances.
He said: ‘I was inside working. I saw the ambulances, police, fire and and helicopter. I heard nothing.
‘The building is very old, listed and nice. They were working on it.’
Police cordoned off the affected road while ambulance crews worked to treat the people injured in the collapse