Emergency services descend on Collins St after police find body

Police have cordoned off a busy inner city street after finding a deceased person on the pavement early on Saturday morning.

A body has been found by police at a busy street in Melbourne’s CBD.

Police cordoned off Collins St on Saturday morning after patrolling officers found a body shortly after 4.15am.

“The circumstances surrounding the death of the person, who remains unidentified, are unclear,” a police spokesman said.

A section of Collins St between King and Spencer St has been closed after a deceased person was found. Picture: Nadir Kinani

Patrolling police found the deceased person about 4.15am on Saturday. Picture: Nadir Kinani

The body was discovered outside EzyMart before the street was closed between Spencer St and Kings St while police “processed the scene”.

A police helicopter was seen surveying the scene from up high on Saturday morning.

EzyMart shop worker Mohammed Nawaz arrived at work this morning to witness a grizzly scene as police taped off the shop and its surroundings.

“I started at 8am and the whole street was taped,” Mr Nawaz told the Herald Sun.

“I asked my colleague who was working in the night, he didn’t see what happened but he saw the body on the pavement.

“Cops arrived and they just surrounded the body with the tent.

“It was terrible, I’ve seen stuff like this on news, like someone being stabbed but never saw any thing in real life.”

Mr Nawaz said his colleague believed the person had fallen from a height.

A police helicopter assesses the scene from above. Picture: Nadir Kinani

The inner city street is now locked down. Picture: Nadir Kinani

Local resident Samantha Williams who lives on the 16th floor of a building located near the incident, said she heard what sounded like fireworks at about 1.30am.

“There were some very loud bangs and what sounded like either something crashing or possibly even a firework,” she said.

“It was loud enough for me to hear it beyond the sound of headphones.

“I was thinking it could have been a gunshot. I also was hoping that it wasn’t a gunshot.”

Ms Williams said she was glad she didn’t look out of her balcony after hearing the ruckus.

“I would have had a very good view of that, and I don’t think that would have been particularly nice to see,” she said.

“I’ve been living here for maybe four or five years and I’ve not had anything like that happen before.”

Police were seen taking bio waste bags into the SES tent around 2pm on Saturday afternoon, while firefighters were on scene to hose off the tramways.

Emergency services were also seen investigating the awning above to the EzyMart.

Police reopened Collins St to pedestrians about 5pm.

Officers were seen using a drone to observe the building believed to be at the centre of the incident.

Anyone who witnessed the incident or with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Originally published as Emergency services descend on Collins St after police find body