Gosford: Cars damaged on Donnison, Mann streets, scaffolding collapse
A worker in the kindergarten next door to the major scaffolding collapse at a construction site in Gosford has described the shock in the moments after it crumbled, saying it was “lucky no one got killed”. It took out eight cars and injured one woman.
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Eight cars have been crushed under tonnes of scaffolding near the corner of Donnison and Mann streets Gosford.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 3.20pm on Wednesday after high winds brought the scaffolding crashing down.
A wall of scaffolding has collapsed at a building site in Gosford. Paramedics treating one person with head injuries, 8+ cars damaged. @abcnews pic.twitter.com/EmWxFuLuJs
— Jake Lapham (@JakeLapham) August 19, 2020
A woman, aged about 45, was understood to have been walking past when the scaffolding gave way and suffered a head injury.
She was taken into the Chemist Warehouse across the road where she was treated by staff until paramedics arrived and took her to Gosford Hospital.
Chemist Warehouse staff said the were instructed not to comment about the incident and the shop remained trading with customers accessing through the rear door, which backs onto the laneway adjacent to Gosford Library.
No other injuries have been reported. It appears several people and a number of motorists were lucky to escape unscathed.
Jenny’s Kindergarten Early Learning and Child Care, located next door to the building site, felt the full force of the collapse.
The kindergarten’s second in charge Ziearyn Votano said while they were used to the construction noise, the loud bang was “out of the ordinary”.
“We are right next door and it shook the building,” she said.
“It was really scary, all the kids got a fright and were asking what the loud noise was. When we ran over to the window, it was like looking at a huge fence that had fallen over.”
Ms Votano said it was “lucky no one got killed”.
“There were signs up saying the footpath was closed on the construction side of the road so thankfully no one was walking there,” she said.
Meanwhile, a consultant, who preferred not to give her name, was working in her first floor office directly across the road.
She said construction workers began taking the scaffolding down this morning.
She said when the scaffolding was erected prior to the demolition works early last month the parking on the western side of Mann St — where all the cars were damaged — was blocked off.
“They were pulling the scaffolding down today,” she told the Express Advocate.
“They were removing the blue wrap and pulling different levels down.
“When they did put up the scaffolding they blocked the parking but not when they were taking it down, which I found strange.”
She had her blinds down at the time and was on a conference call to clients in Melbourne when she heard the bang.
“I thought it was the last of the walls coming down,” she said.
“I said to the people I was on the call with `did you hear that?’ and they were like `yes, what was that?”.
She said she looked out and saw the damage and people walking around.
“I was surprised there was no other injuries,” she said.
The Bureau of Meteorology reported a wind gust at Gosford of 59km/h just moments before the scaffolding came crashing down. Three NSW Fire & Rescue trucks and an ambulance were at the scene.
A whole wall of scaffolding has collapsed bringing with it a light pole, which has taken out a white ute.
The building site is where the old Union Hotel was being demolished to make way for the multi-tower $400 million Archibald development.
Crews are working quickly to clear the road.
Attempts have been made to contact the company believed to be managing the works.