What could happen outside your front door

This building or what's left of it collapsed this afternoon. It's literally a hundred meters from my flat. Just phoned my mum, telling her that I'm ok and our house is still standing. I wouldn't know however for how long.

BBC NEWS
Building collapses in east London
A search has begun for trapped people after a four-storey building collapsed in east London. Emergency services were called to Commercial Road, Whitechapel, at 1640 GMT on Tuesday following reports of a building partially collapsing. Sound tests are being carried out on the building to determine whether people are trapped inside. Paramedics at the scene treated 10 adults and one boy for shock, but no-one was taken to hospital. Loud bang Steve Ware, from the London Fire Brigade, said: "We're trying to work out if there are people inside. We have no confirmation of anybody involved at the moment. "We have specialist teams actually in the process of using listening devices and we're considering what plan to adapt." About six to eight metres of debris has fallen onto the pavement in front of the building, said emergency services. The building was being refurbished when the first and second floors collapsed. Part of the building has fallen against scaffolding on the front of the site, which is leaning against a lamp-post. Ali Morris, landlady of The Castle Pub, said: "My flatmate came and told me he'd heard a loud bang so we looked out of the window and the fire brigade were already coming out. "We came down, they sealed the road off and you could see all the debris that had come out of the building and the scaffolding is leaning right over."

Commercial Road is blocked in both directions. There are delays in the area, with all traffic being diverted along Whitechapel Road towards Mile End. It is also affecting the buses with routes 15 and 155 being diverted. Police advised motorists to avoid the area around the western end of Commercial Road. Scotland Yard said cordons around the collapsed building were expected to remain in place until further notice.

Story from BBC NEWS - Published: 2007/02/13 22:45:58 GMT