Scaffolding collapse ‘like dominos’

A man who witnessed a scaffolding collapse in Auckland has described the sight of bodies falling into the water as the structure ‘‘unzipped’’ before him.

Three people were taken to hospital with moderate and minor injuries yesterday morning after scaffolding they were working on collapsed in the East Auckland suburb of Panmure.

One of the men was trapped against the Panmure Bridge and had to be freed by emergency services.

Fire station officer Frank Walsh said six people ended up in the water and a man was trapped on the underside of the bridge after the incident at 10am. The man was rescued by the fire service’s high angle rescue team.

The rescued man seemed unfazed by the drama. He drummed his hands against the bridge as he waited for help, then shook hands with his rescuers.

Roger Hill, a yacht designer based at the Panmure Bridge Marina, was sitting about 30 metres away when the collapse happened.

He was sitting at his desk when he heard a loud noise.

‘‘I looked up and it just started collapsing from the Panmure end and I saw it start unzipping to the Pakuranga Rd end.

‘‘It folded and twisted into the river, and the people on it were falling into the water and were banging on things as they came down,’’ Hill said.

He said a pipe connected to the bridge, holding the scaffolding in place, broke off.

’’The whole thing unzipped, it was literally like dominos.’’

Hill said the workers have been putting up the scaffolding progressively as they work across the bridge.

Witnesses said the collapse sounded ‘‘like a plane landing’’.

St John spokesman Mark Deoki said one patient in a moderate condition and two patients with minor injuries were taken to Middlemore Hospital. Another patient was assessed at an accident and medical centre.

The bridge, which remained open to traffic, was undergoing paint and concrete repairs.

WorkSafe spokesman Chris Baylis said the organisation had been notified and was making initial inquiries.

A Middlemore spokeswoman said all three hospitalised men were awaiting further assessment. – Fairfax NZ

PHOTO: CATRIN OWEN/ FAIRFAX NZ The collapsed scaffolding beneath Panmure Bridge yesterday. Six workers fell into the water after the scaffolding collapsed and one man was trapped under the bridge.