Chelsea balcony collapse: Two people dead and six injured in London

Emergency services were called at 10am this morning

Heather Saul
Friday 21 November 2014 13:54 GMT
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Two people have died and six people have been injured after a balcony collapsed in west London.

A spokesperson for the London Ambulance Service (LAS) said it was called at about 10am to Cadogan Square in Chelsea to reports of an incident.

Eight people were treated by emergency crews including paramedics and London's Air Ambulance. One man was pronounced dead at the scene and another man was taken to St Mary’s Hospital for treatment “as a priority”.

The Metropolitan Police said the second man later died in hospital.

Greg Hands, Conservative MP for Chelsea and Fulham, said in a tweet he believed two of the men who died were removal men.

He added: "Casualties were removal staff. My thoughts are with their families."

The victims are reported to have fallen 20 feet from the balcony as they were helping to take a sofa out of an apartment, the Evening Standard reports.

Raj Ramanoop, who lives in the square, said he was alerted by a friend in a nearby embassy who initially told him scaffolding had come down.

Mr Ramanoop said: "By the time I got back here, the police had cordoned off the whole street.

"I heard it was a sofa or furniture. We don't know whether it was coming in or going out because you don't look at these things."

The iron railing appears to have fallen away, though the brick base does not appear to be damaged. A number of long ropes are hanging from the balcony to the ground where plastic sheets are gathered.

A police tent has been erected on the pavement and the street - where the average property is worth £3.2 million, has been closed to the public.

"One man was pronounced dead and the scene.

"A second man was taken to a central London hospital in a critical condition where he later died.

"No further details regarding ages at this early stage. Police are in the process of identifying next of kin.

"Cordons remain in place at this time.

"The Health and Safety Executive and the Local Authority have been informed. An investigation is underway to establish the circumstances."

Additional reporting by PA

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