Overview
- Police, fire and ambulance crews responded after a mixed-use building on King Street collapsed Tuesday afternoon, injuring three people as five occupants got out on their own and two were taken to hospital.
- Authorities are probing a suspected gas leak as a potential cause, with gas network operator Cadent on scene Tuesday and Oldham Council later confirming crews stopped the leak as part of the overnight response.
- Travel and trading were heavily disrupted following Tuesday's collapse, with a large cordon, road closures and Metrolink trams halted between Freehold and Rochdale, and by Wednesday the council said the cordon was reduced and trams were running again.
- Safety concerns predated the incident, as GMFRS attended the site on March 1 for a dangerous-structure report and handed it to the owner while locals reported visible cracks and long-standing scaffolding on the property.
- The building, understood to house Euro King Mini Mart with a flat above, remains unsafe as building control and fire officers assess damage and plan a controlled demolition, with the council saying about 40 nearby residents needed temporary accommodation overnight.