King Street building collapse in Oldham town centre

King Street in Oldham town centre turned into a scene of chaos this afternoon when a building partially collapsed just after 12:30pm, sending emergency services rushing to the area. The facade of the building, which had been covered in scaffolding, completely fell away, exposing the interior rooms of the top floor and damaging the bus shelter directly in front.

Witnesses described hearing a massive rumble before the building came down. A staff member at Georgia Fried Chicken said he saw two people rush out of the building barefooted just before the collapse, while others at the bus shelter managed to get away in time. 'I was more worried about the community, really,' he said.

The emergency response was extensive, with police, fire service, ambulance crews, and an air ambulance all attending. Five people were assessed at the scene, with two taken to hospital with injuries not believed to be life-threatening. Trams were suspended between Freehold and Rochdale Town Centre, and road closures were implemented throughout the town centre.

As the afternoon progressed, the cordon was widened due to concerns about a potential gas leak. Cadent Gas engineers confirmed they were securing a damaged gas main caused by the collapse. The King Street cordon was moved back to behind Halfords, and the air ambulance landed on the roof of Mecca Bingo as part of the emergency response.