Demolition work has started on a King Street building in Oldham that collapsed on March 24, injuring three people with two requiring hospital treatment. The building, part-owned by Hollinwood Councillor Kamran Ghafoor and business partner Sameer Zulqurnain under KKS Investors, had been showing large cracks for years. Following the collapse, 40 people were evacuated from surrounding buildings and King Street has remained closed to vehicles for over a week. Engineers describe the demolition as 'delicate' due to adjacent properties, with roads expected to reopen later this week once deemed safe. Investigations into the cause continue.
A building collapsed on King Street in Oldham town centre just after 12:30pm on an unspecified date in 2026, causing extensive damage and prompting a major emergency response. The facade of the building, which had scaffolding, completely fell away, exposing interior rooms. Five people were assessed by emergency services, with two taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The air ambulance landed on Mecca Bingo's roof, trams were suspended between Freehold and Rochdale Town Centre, and road closures were implemented. Cadent Gas confirmed engineers were securing a damaged gas main, and the cordon was widened later due to a potential gas leak.
A building on King Street in Oldham town centre partially collapsed on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, injuring three people. Emergency services including fire crews, police, and an air ambulance responded to the incident around 12:40pm. Eyewitnesses described hearing a rumble followed by a massive crash, with one calling the scene 'carnage'. Five people self-evacuated from the building before emergency services arrived. Two people were taken to hospital with injuries not deemed life-threatening. The collapse affected a pizza shop and nearby businesses, with King Street being cordoned off and all businesses evacuated.