Crane 'in danger of collapse' as police rush to scene and site evacuated

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Crane
Crane 'in danger of collapse'

A crane is in "danger of collapse" with emergency services on the scene in Leeds with a road closure in place – with bystanders reportedly being told the area could be locked down until well into the early hours.

West Yorkshire Police and West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service are in attendance near Whitehall Waterfront this afternoon. The Whitehall Waterfront site itself is said to have been evacuated and a road closure is in place on Whitehall Road.

The exact situation remains unconfirmed at this time but those working locally said they believe one of the cranes on an adjacent building site had 'become unsafe'. Another said they had been told the crane "was in danger of falling".

Traffic maps from the area show delays for those using Whitehall Road as motorists look to divert around the scene. Police officers and fire crews remain in attendance this afternoon.

Trains have also been cancelled. There are no London services and it is also affecting CrossCountry, Northern and TransPennine services.

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A report from Inrix said: "Delays of up to 60 minutes and some cancellations on London North Eastern Railway at Leeds due to earlier emergency services dealing with an incident. Affecting CrossCountry, Northern and TransPennine services."

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'We were told it could be the early hours of the morning before road re-opens'

An eyewitness has revealed police officers manning a cordon at the scene have blamed today's issues on "a snapped cable".

Accountant James Morris has been forced to travel back to Manchester by rail this evening and abandon his car within the police cordon after parking it next to the building site.

He told the Mirror: "We were initially told it would be 90 minutes to two hours, then as more people were gathered waiting to get back to their cars, a sergeant came over and told us that a cable had snapped one one of the cranes and it had been declared a major incident.

"He told us engineers were en-route, but they weren't local and when they arrived they would have to assess the crane to see if it had to be dismantled or could be repaired – he said it could be the early hours before the road is open again."

When asked about theories Storm Debi high winds had played a part in today's incident, Mr Morris was doubftul, explaining: "To be honest it's not been that bad here. It's rained a bit but I don't think the weather's had anything to do with this.

"It's more about something going wrong with the actual crane."

Rail users warned to expect 'major disruption'

National Rail have confirmed that while rail services are now operating from Leeds, commuters can expect delays and cancellations for the rest of the evening.

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The company Tweeted from its official account: "#Leeds - Lines reopened: Major disruption at Leeds expected until the end of the day."

Crane 'in danger of collapse' as police rush to scene and site evacuated (PA)

Storm Debi takes its toll

Leeds had been braced for wind speeds of up to 65mph today as Storm Debi battered the UK. As part of that warning Brits were told to be on high alert for flying debris in winds that could reach as high as 70mph inland.

And to make matters worse for authorities trying to deal with this incident, the Met Office is predicting more unsettled weather this evening and on into tomorrow morning.

Crane 'in danger of collapse' as police rush to scene and site evacuated (PA)

Commuter chaos as roads closed and trains stopped

A large area of Leeds city centre has been cordoned off amid concerns the crane could topple onto nearby buildings.

It is understood engineers are racing to fix the problem and assess where the crane could potentially fall.

The disruption has left commuters facing travel chaos in the West Yorkshire city as numerous roads were closed an all trains in and out of Leeds central station stopped.

Offices in Wellington Place - including those of the Yorkshire Evening Post - were evacuated.

It is believed the incident involved one of two cranes operating on the banks of the River Aire.

Two fire crews attending 'unstable structure'

Fire crews on the scene are dealing with a "large crane" that has become unstable.

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said: "We were called at 13.36 to reports of an unstable structure on Riverside Way in Leeds.

"Two crews from Leeds are in attendance dealing with the structure which is a large crane. The area has been cleared of people - access is restricted and road closures are in place."

Police confirm people are being evacuated from buildings

A spokesperson for West Yorkshire Police said: "Police are at the scene following a report of an industrial incident involving a crane on Riverside Way, Leeds. It has been confirmed that there is no one on the crane.

"Access to the area has been restricted for pedestrians and road closures put in place. A number of buildings in the area are also being evacuated as a precaution.

"These closures are expected to be in place for some time and members of the public are advised to avoid the area and seek other routes. This is an ongoing incident and further updates will be provided in due course."

Are you in Leeds city centre? Let us know what's happening

Reports on social media say that people are being evacuated from apartment blocks while the public are being asked to avoid the area.

Lucy Thornton

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