Bow crane collapse: Witness describes hearing sound like 'earthquake' before crane fell on east London houses

A woman has said she feels "traumatised" after a crane collapsed onto nearby houses in Bow, east London.

The 20-metre long crane fell onto a block of flats under development and crashed into two terraced houses on Compton Close at around 2.40pm on Wednesday afternoon.

One woman was found dead at the scene, while two were taken to hospital with head wounds and another two were treated at the scene by the London Ambulance Service.

A woman, who did not want to give her name, told the PA news agency that her family were lucky to be alive.

She said her home is next door to the one which felt the full impact of the crash, and said the collapse sounded “like an earthquake”.

Crane collapse in Bow - In pictures

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“There was just rubble and stuff in the doorway," said the woman. “There was smoke and just bits and bobs around. My mum was shouting for me because she thought it had hit me.

“She was screaming. I was screaming back. I then realised my brother was downstairs and I need to grab whatever I can and just go."

The witness added: “It sounded to me like an earthquake or almost like a stone that someone had chucked into our home.

“We are all just so lucky to be alive – that is all I can really say.

“How can people go back in their homes and not feel traumatised? I can feel it all over my body right now. I feel traumatised.”

Emergency services at the scene of the crane collapse in Bow
Rachael Burford

Firefighters rushed to Gale Street and carried out a "complex rescue operation" to free people who were trapped.

A London Ambulance spokesperson said: "We treated four people at the scene. We treated two of these patients for head injuries and took them to hospital and we assessed the other two patients at the scene."

Student Antony Small, 22, who lives next the construction site in Devons Road, told the Evening Standard he thought an "earthquake" was happening.

"The whole building was shaking and there was this loud screeching metal sound. I didn’t know what way it was going to fall so I just sort of braced for an impact.

"It was so loud when it hit the building and you could hear all the smashing tiles and rubble. The whole building site was shouting and swearing. It was frightening.”

Lukasz Waligra who lives opposite the building site, said: “It was a horrible sound of screeching metal and then a crash.

"I never thought something like this could happen. There has to be an investigation.”

The Mayor of London paid tribute to the woman who died at the scene of the crash on Twitter.

He said: "This is a tragedy. My heartfelt condolences go out to the family of the victim who died during this incident in Bow today.

"I sincerely hope that the four individuals injured make a full recovery."

The crane that collapsed was being used by Swan Housing Association and NU living.

A spokeswoman for the housing association and NU living said: “Swan Housing Association/NU living is aware of an incident that occurred at our Watts Grove development site in Tower Hamlets, east London, this afternoon.

“A full incident response has been implemented and our staff are on site supporting the emergency services in their response.”

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