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Tower Bridge closed to public as investigation into lift disaster begins
Justin Davenport12.05.09
Tower Bridge is to remain closed indefinitely while investigators try to establish why a lift full of people suddenly plunged to the ground.
Four men and two women were taken to hospital following the incident yesterday afternoon at the 44 metre-high north tower.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation is under way after a lift carrying as many as 16 people plummeted around 10ft to the ground.
Five tourists, believed to be Spanish, and one member of staff were taken to the Royal London Hospital with lower leg injuries. A husband and wife were among those with the most serious injuries, suffering a suspected broken ankle and a broken leg.
The bridge was closed to traffic for nearly two hours while the incident in the north tower of the structure was dealt with.
Philip Everett, Director of Environmental Services at the City of London Corporation, who is responsible for the Victorian bridge, said: “We are desperately sorry in causing this inconvenience. We clearly very much regret it and wish them (the injured) well.
Any incident involving a lift is very concerning. We are absolutely very concerned about it. We are taking all the right precautions. The Health and Safety Executive are currently conducting an investigation which we are fully cooperating with. Our lift service engineers are on site at the moment looking into all aspects of what may have gone wrong.”
Mr Everett said the lifts were serviced regularly and there was no indication that anything was faulty.
He said the exhibition would remain closed until they had checked the “service ability of the other lifts on site”.
Around 400,000 people a year use the lift to visit the exhibition which is one of London's main tourist attractions.
The bridge, which is crossed by 40,000 motorists and pedestrians every day, was completed in 1894 and took eight years to build. The lifts were added to take tourists to the bridge's high-level walkways, 42 metres above the River Thames.
Reader views (9)
EDITED by admin @ 16.42 on June 2 2009
Breach of Community Guidelines
- Otis, Glasgow
Most lifts have between 5 and 7 cables, each one capable of supporting the entire weight of a loaded lift. In addition, the brake (as mentioned), and pit buffers are to prevent severe injury in the event of a drive failure.
Obviously the sudden stop can still cause injury as it did here, but the lift would not have plummeted, and it did not break any ropes.
- Dave Manning, Perth Australia
Her indoors is terrified of lifts and won't use them, but I persuaded her to go up in that very lift about four weeks ago. Looks like she knows best yet again!
Hope the people on board are ok, sounds like there were no life threatening injuries.
- Jj, London
In proportion by size, a lift allegedly has more safety features built in than a jumbo jet.
That said, lack of maintenance, or a failed component, could bring both crashing to the ground.
Personally, I always avoid lifts whenever possible.
- Jock, London
Mr Otis invented the safety brake that cut in if the cable broke back in the 1850s.
- Alan In Bow, London
Of course its possible for lifts to fall, they are cable run after all. Either way, accidents happen, sadly its true. So lets not over-react to this and thankfully no-one has died.
- Louise, Essex
I thought it was not possible for lifts to fall? there has been a safety mechanism around for a long time that that should prevent this ever happening.
- Serox, London
Lets not jump to any conclusions and start proportioning the blame.An enquiry must and will take place so lets all wait until after that happens.Best wishes to the injured.
- Barry Buckley, London
I wonder what we're all paying taxes for and tourists pay vast sums to come to our country and visit our "never maintained" landmarks. Is it that they had no money to maintain tourist landmarks with total disregard for safety and security that they preach so much about because all the money was spent on our MP's personal expenses?
- Alex Gordon, Glasgow,UK
