Police have cordoned off a section of footpath on Auckland’s Queen St after concrete fell from a building’s facade and injured two pedestrians.
Banker Hayden Edwards saw at least two people get hit with falling debris while he was taking a walk on his lunch break.
“I was walking down Fort St, I was under this tree when I saw this massive, massive rock [fall]. It was this big boulder,” he told the Herald.
“Two or three people got hit. I was the one that called the ambulance.
“An older gentleman had a big cut on his eye, and a lady on her forehead. But the worst was the older guy, he had blood gushing from his eyebrow.
“It’s a bit of a shock.
“Everyone responded pretty much instantly. Police were here quickly. The emergency services were really good. Not something you expect though,” he said.
After the incident, the couple told the Herald they were all right and wanted to be left to their day.
They described their shock as they sat and suddenly got struck on the head.
“Just now, as we sat outside, something fell from the building and hit her head,” the couple said.
They insisted they were all right and said they did not want to make a fuss.
“But an odd thing to happen,” the couple said.
Auckland Council compliance manager Adrian Wilson said officers have visited the scene and liaised with the body corporate manager and the owner of the apartment, where it appears a loose piece of masonry had fallen from the balcony. There is currently no sign of any further loose concrete, he said.
To ensure the safety of members of the public, the outside of the building will be assessed by abseilers this afternoon, arranged by the body corporate. A restriction has been placed around the area of impact on the street, Wilson said.
Police said they were assisting emergency services at a building on Queen St, where an object had fallen and shattered glass.
At least two pedestrians suffered moderate injuries and were being taken to a nearby medical centre for treatment.
Firefighters are going through the building to make sure the rest of the building is stable.
A nearby shopkeeper said an elderly woman was hit and injured by the falling concrete.
“It’s just bad luck, I suppose,” a shopkeeper who witnessed the incident told the Herald.
“She was an old lady, only just got here to visit her daughter. There was blood over her head, a big drop,” she said.
The woman said it was “very scary” but was impressed by the swift police response.
Small bits of contents, about 5cm wide, were left scattered across the footpath.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand shift manager Josh Pennefather said they were assisting police after debris fell from the roof of a Queen St property.
“We’re making access to the roof to assess where debris had fallen from,” Pennefather said.
Hato Hone St John responded with two ambulances and one rapid response vehicle.
Two patients, both in a moderate condition, were assessed and treated at the scene, it said.
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