Swanston St wall collapses opposite international student accommodation
TWO people are dead and one critically injured after a wall collapsed opposite a student accommodation on Swanston St. A shocked resident says she saw a textbook lying on the floor next to the victims. Karen Poh and Leon Saw report.
Photo: Aun Ngo
A wall has collapsed opposite an international student accommodation on Swanston St, killing one man and one woman.
Another woman has been rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition.
The incident was reported to the police just before 3pm.
Ellie Khoo, a resident at Arrow on Swanston, said she alighted the tram right where the incident happened, at the corner of Swanston St and Cornell Place.
“When we got down outside Arrow, we saw lots of passersby digging through the rubble.
“There was one man and woman under the rubble, the man was partially crumpled on top of the woman, and a textbook was lying on the floor next to them,” she said.
Photo: Aun Ngo
“The paramedics were trying to ask the woman if she could hear her, trying to wake her up.
“It didn’t seem like the woman was conscious at all, there was a lot of blood.”
At that point, someone in the crowd up the road yelled “someone died”, Ms Khoo said.
A Victoria Police spokeswoman was unable to confirm if any international students were involved in the incident.
“As of this moment, we do not know whether any international students were involved. The incident just happened,” she said.
Photo: Aun Ngo
Ms Khoo, who was with two her friends, both residents at the international student accommodation, said they were shocked by the incident.
“It’s scary because it was so random. It could have been us,” Ms Khoo said.
“And to think we possibly know any of these people because we just live across the street.
Everyone walks down this street.
“It’s such an old wall that has been there for so long and the Melbourne wind couldn’t have taken it down just like that.”
The area has been cordoned off and emergency services remain at the scene.