Residents and workers in Manchester city centre were startled on Friday afternoon after part of the Alberton House building on Bridge Street partially collapsed during demolition work, sending up clouds of dust and shaking nearby offices.
Witnesses described the ground trembling as scaffolding gave way at about 14:50 BST. Some compared the noise and vibrations to an earthquake, prompting immediate evacuations in the surrounding area.
Tayy Ara, who works at nearby Cardinal House, said the impact was “like a huge earthquake” that rippled through all eight floors of her building. “Everyone felt it across the offices,” she said. “We’ve felt smaller tremors over the past few weeks during demolition, but this was something else entirely.”
Chloe Gallagher, another witness, recalled hearing an “almighty crash” as part of the building and scaffolding fell. “The dust clouds looked like they were coming towards us,” she said. “I grabbed my colleague and ran. It didn’t look planned — people in the next building were rushing to the windows.”
The area around the site, near the River Irwell and opposite the Lowry Hotel, was quickly cordoned off by police, while properties nearby were evacuated as a safety precaution.
Bruntwood SciTech, the owners of Alberton House, confirmed the incident and insisted that there had been “no risk” to workers or the public. “On a site of this complexity all eventualities are planned for,” a spokesperson said.
“We followed agreed safety protocols. As such, there was no risk to the on-site team, neighbouring buildings, or the general public.”
The company added that contractors PP O’Connor remain on site and that demolition work would continue as planned. “We appreciate the noise this generated may have caused some alarm,” the statement read.
Other witnesses described the loud crash that followed moments before the collapse. “It sounded like a train coming,” said Paul, who works nearby. “There was a slow rumble, then a whirring sound, and suddenly the ground shook.”
Local resident Adam Bacon said he had been concerned about the structure for weeks. “I’ve been watching the demolition and was worried about how much scaffolding was still left standing,” he said.
Police maintained a cordon around the site on Friday evening as safety checks continued. There were no reported injuries, and authorities confirmed that investigations into the cause of the collapse are underway.
Despite assurances from Bruntwood SciTech, witnesses said the unexpected scale of the collapse has left many in the area shaken — both literally and figuratively.
