The top floors of the building were undergoing renovation

 

Part of a five-storey building has collapsed just 100 yards from New Scotland Yard in central London.

The emergency services were called to Dean Farrar Street in Westminster at 1604 BST on Tuesday.

 

A London Fire Service spokesman said the top two floors of the building had collapsed and one person was being treated in hospital for minor injuries.

 

The building houses the campaign office of Labour deputy leadership contender Hazel Blears.

 

Six fire engines, 50 firefighters and two urban search and rescue vehicles are at the scene.

 

Eyewitness Barshan Ganwari said he heard a "huge noise" or "a blast" and saw "people running away" from the scene.

 

Justin Linger was working in the building at the time of the collapse.

 

"I was just sitting in the office when all of a sudden the whole building shook," he told BBC News 24.

 

"As one of my colleagues put it, the building disco danced."

 

He said the floors affected were undergoing renovation.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6746017.stm

One trapped as building collapses

 

 

One person has been injured and another remains trapped after the top two floors of a five-storey building in central London collapsed.

The emergency services were called to Dean Farrar Street in Westminster at 1604 BST on Tuesday.

 

The building, which is being renovated, houses the office of Labour chair Hazel Blears, none of whose staff was hurt.

 

Police said structural failure may have been to blame and it was down to "good fortune" that it was not more serious.

 

There was no sign of an explosion, they added.

 

Ms Blears, who is running for the deputy Labour leadership, and six other MPs spent several hours in the offices on the fourth and fifth floor at lunchtime today, he added.

 

Six fire engines, 50 firefighters and two urban search and rescue vehicles are at the scene.

 

Police said rescue services were in contact with the trapped person, believed to be a builder.

 

'Showering down'

 

Eyewitness Anthony Gilberthorpe told BBC News 24: "It happened just so very quick one didn't know what to do.

 

"I heard a mighty explosion and about two floors and the roof of a building to my left hand side was literally showering down in front of me.

 

 

"So I literally threw myself, literally jumped up and threw myself, to the right hand side of the road not knowing whether I was going to be hit."

 

Mr Gilberthorpe saw a van driver step out of his vehicle moments before it was hit by a huge piece of debris.

 

"What I did see which was quite shocking was a huge boulder went right through his vehicle, literally where he had been 15 seconds previously and I think that's the most frightening thing that I actually witnessed.

 

'Calm evacuation'

 

There were six of Ms Blears campaign volunteers in the offices at the time of the collapse.

 

One of them, Sean Newman, said: "Some of us who were upstairs felt the building shake.

 

"Then we heard the alarm go off and left our stuff to go downstairs. It was a calm evacuation, but they would not let us go back in."

 

He estimated that there were around 50 businesses based in the premises.

 

Justin Linger was also working in the building at the time of the collapse.

 

"I was just sitting in the office when all of a sudden the whole building shook," he told BBC News 24.

 

"As one of my colleagues put it, the building disco danced."

 

Scotland Yard said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) would be responsible for determining the cause of the collapse.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/6746017.stm

Whats wrong with the BBC coverage? it didn't predicit that the building would collapse over half an hour before it did.

(no-one will get that joke)

How long do you think it will be until they blame it on "terrorists?"

lucky that no one died

How long do you think it will be until they blame it on "terrorists?"

*runs to start terrorist rumor so she can get a cheaper flight and better exchange rate to travel there* :sneaky:

Someone on BBC London News said "they do not suspect this to be a 'terrorist' attack"

 

Haha, yeah...No shit Sherlock!

I think only one person has been injured,its on tv now