Five injured following metal structure collapse at Telford school
Five workers were taken to hospital yesterday following the collapse of a metal structure around the Abraham Darby School in Madeley.
The four people brought to the Princess Royal Hospital yesterday following the incident at the Abraham Darby Academy are today described as being in a stable condition after suffering minor injuries.
The incident happened at around 4.25pm on Thursday at the Abraham Darby School on Ironbridge Road in the Madeley area of Telford.
Emergency Services were on the scene until late last night and an investigation has now been launched by the Health and Safety Executive.
A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "When ambulance staff arrived, they found a large metal structure that had been put up around the school had collapsed.
"At the time of the collapse a number of workman had been on the structure and had become injured as a result of the incident.
"In total, there were four injuries:
"A man in his 40s had suffered spinal injuries. He was immobilised using a neck collar and spinal board and was airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.
"A man in his 50s had leg and chest injuries, a man in his 20s had abdominal injuries and another man in his 20s had back and pelvic injuries. All three were taken to Princess Royal Hospital in Telford which had been alerted to the possibility of a large number of patients.
"The final patient was a man who had minor injuries and was taken for a check up."
The ambulance service worked with colleagues from the fire service to get all of the patients out of the wreckage of the collapsed structure. The structure was then searched to ensure there were no further patients.
Despite the complexity of the incident and the difficult working conditions, West Midlands Ambulance Service said all of the patients were on route to hospital within an hour of the first 999 call.
Constructors have been working on the new £35m redevelopment project for the last 15 months and expect to have the site ready for handover in December this year, with the opening scheduled for January 2012.
Road closures and bus routes
Telford and Wrekin council have announced that a section of Ironbridge Road in Madeley is closed today following the incident at the site yesterday. Ironbridge Road, in Madeley, is closed today from its junction with Woodside Avenue to Lees Farm Roundabout. (There is still access to Woodside Avenue from Ironbridge Road).
Diversions are in place on all routes and are well signposted.
Residential estate The Keep is still accessible.
Bus routes are being diverted down Glendinning Way, Hermitage Way and Wrekin Way before joining its normal route. The alternative route is not much longer so delays expected to keep to a minimum.
Due to the diversions two bus stops are currently out of action either side of the entrance to The Keep. Bus users are advised to walk to the bus stops on Mound Way or Woodside Avenue for the 44 service; and to the Park Inn at the top of Ironbridge Road or Woodside Avenue for the 11 and 22 services.
