One person has been injured after a roof collapsed on a building site in East Cowes this afternoon (Thursday).
Resources from all 3 emergency services were first seen rushing into the North Wight town simultaneously at around 15:00, heading straight for the Victoria Barracks off Albany Road.
Due the severity of the initial 999 call, as many 11 emergency vehicles responded, including; 3 fire appliances from Newport and Ryde, 5 Police cars, as well as an ambulance, operational commander and fire officer.
At the scene, a newly-built roof had collapsed onto the floor below. It appears that the collapse of the wall holding up the wooden structure was to blame.
It has been confirmed that just a single person was injured, with the walking wounded casualty passed into the care of the Isle of Wight Ambulance Service.
Island Echo understands that contractors had only fitted the roof this morning with workers seen on the wooden structure nailing things down just hours before the collapse.
The site is currently being transformed into an education and training facility for marine youth charity UKSA.
A Hampshire & Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service spokesperson has said:
“Newport and Ryde crews were alerted to a structure collapse, believed to be scaffolding, on the Esplanade in East Cowes at around 3pm.
“One walking wounded casualty was already in the care of IWAS.
“HIWFRS were no longer required and returned to station having taken no action.”
gerry building.
There are no intermediate supports on the long walls. Whoever signed off the design should never work again.
I have been saying for years there is no
Health and Safety on the island.
The island is full of cowboys., it was only
recently a wall fell down in Newport nr
TK Maxx
The Island is a joke
I wish I were as perfect a person as you are, what a wonderful world we would live in if you were in charge.So come on do it properly, climb the ladder of fortune come on we need YOU. Or are you sad, lonely should we feel sorry for you…
That’s the problem when Numpty’s are employed
to carry out such works.
Should have brought in a mainland Company,
at least it would have stayed up.
Pompey have good builders
Lol
I wonder what Cowboy Builders are responsible
Yee-haw
You can clearly see that both long walls have collapsed or moved quite severely which means that either they were shoddily built, they hadn’t been allowed to dry, they weren’t tied in or the single course wasn’t substantial enough to hold the weight of the roof. Both walls have splayed out with the roof weight which, had it happened in a few weeks, could have been disastrous. Whilst HSE isn’t a visible force on the Island, they should have been informed as soon as this collapsed, due to the injury, but where was Building Control who, I thought, had to sign off on each part of the building as it is completed… did no one notice the complete lack of stability?
Luck it was 3 o’clock and most of the builders had probably left site by then, knowing BM’s lads or still at the pub from lunch break. Good to know at least had top electrician on site so no problem their. Glad no one seriously injured tho.