A building in Manchester city centre partially collapsed last week due to a structural defect, demolition contractors have confirmed. Alberton House on Bridge Street gave way at around 14:50 BST on Friday, with PP O’Connor, the demolition firm, saying the incident was caused by “a defect in the existing structure discovered earlier in the week”.
The contractors stated they were working closely with the Health and Safety Executive, Building Control, and independent structural engineers “to make the site safe”. Bruntwood SciTech, the site owners, acknowledged that “the noise this generated may have caused some alarm” but emphasised that safety protocols were being followed.
PP O’Connor added that “contingency arrangements were put in place for the potential collapse, including a strict exclusion zone” when the structural defect was identified. “There have been no injuries to our workforce or members of the public,” the firm said, noting that “the resulting debris associated with the collapse was fully contained within the footprint of the site”.
Eyewitnesses described the shock of seeing the building partially collapse. Tayy Ara, who works at nearby Cardinal House, said she and colleagues “felt shakes like a huge earthquake. Everyone across the building, which has eight floors, felt it.”
Chloe Gallagher, who was outside at the time, described the scene: “I heard an almighty crash as part of the building and scaffolding fell. The dust clouds looked like they were coming across, so I grabbed my colleague and moved out of the way – but it was extremely loud, and the ground shook as well. We turned to look and the building was collapsing. It didn’t look planned, as there was lots of scaffolding still up and there were people in the building next door rushing to the windows to check what happened. I saw half the building collapsing – then there was like this extreme dust cloud. We moved as soon as we saw the dust cloud coming towards us.”
The collapse highlights the risks associated with demolition work, even when safety measures are in place. Contractors and safety authorities are investigating to ensure the site is fully secure before work continues.
This incident adds to concerns about structural safety in urban redevelopment projects, with experts stressing the importance of early detection and strict adherence to safety protocols. The prompt containment of debris and absence of injuries underscore the effectiveness of the pre-existing contingency measures.
