A city centre building partially collapsed in Manchester this afternoon (Friday 24th October). The property, Alberton House, is situated at a demolition site near Manchester’s Bridge Street.
It is understood that the building had been scheduled for demolition; however, this afternoon, some of the building’s scaffolding crashed to the ground, with some witnesses mistaking the shake for an earthquake.
Demolition work by PP O’Connor, which was given the go-ahead back in 2022, was well underway at Alberton House. Plans by Bruntwood SciTech will see the vacant building torn down and replaced with an 18-storey office block featuring a rooftop pool and wellness centre. The demolition team had been on site since August last year, conducting internal strip-outs before tearing down the structure itself.
Greater Manchester Fire Service (GMFRS) was called to the scene at 14:50 GMT, and the team has confirmed no one was in the building at the time. No injuries have been reported and the fire service has now left the scene.
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A spokesperson for Bruntwood SciTech said: “We can confirm that this afternoon there was a partial collapse at Alberton House, which is currently undergoing a full demolition. While we appreciate the noise this generated may have caused some alarm, on a site of this complexity all eventualities are planned for meaning we were able to follow agreed safety protocols.
“As such, there was no risk to the on-site team, neighbouring buildings or the general public. Contractors PP O’Connor remain on site and work will continue as planned.”
The partially collapsed building is located at 30 St Marys Parsonage, close to the River Irwell, opposite the Lowry Hotel.