LONDON, England (AP) -- The top two stories of a building under renovation collapsed in central London on Tuesday, trapping a construction worker in the rubble, police said.
Dozens of firefighters and rescue crews converged on the multi story red-brick office building and police cordoned off a four-square block are around the rubble-littered street. A concrete bloc crushed the windshield of a van parked on the road below.
"All of a sudden there was a loud bang. I thought it was a bomb," said Surinder Purewal, who works in the Metropolitan Police Authority building opposite the structure. "I saw the whole building come down, there was a lot of dust."
The building was unoccupied except for construction workers -- one of whom remained trapped by debris, Police Commander Steve Allen said.
He said the man was conscious and was speaking to rescuers, but said he could give no indication as to the man's condition or any details as to his identity.
"Currently all efforts are concentrated on forming a plan to rescue him from the building," Allen said.
He said there was no evidence of an explosion.
"There is no information available to us at this time, no information available at all, that this was anything other than a structural failure at the building," he said.
He also expressed relief that more people hadn't been hurt. London's ambulance service has confirmed only one casualty, who was being treated at a local hospital.
"The potential for loss of life and serious injury was immense here," he said.
The campaign office of Labour's deputy leadership contender Hazel Blears is based in the affected building.
Source : edition.cnn.com
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