Scaffolding Collapse Hits Busy London Sidewalk, Three Injured, Pedestrians Trapped Under Debris, Emergency Teams Rush

London, United Kingdom— Scaffolding fell onto a busy London sidewalk on October 31, 2026, injuring three pedestrians and scattering metal poles across a central street.

The collapse happened at 12:40 p.m. on Oxford Street near Tottenham Court Road. The scaffolding was six stories high, erected for facade renovation of a department store. It had been up for three months. Workers were on a lunch break. No one was on it when it fell.

Metropolitan Police said three pedestrians were injured. One was a 29-year-old woman struck on the head by a falling plank. She suffered serious head injuries. Two others had fractures and cuts from metal poles. All three were taken to University College Hospital. No workers were hurt.

Witnesses said they heard a creak, then a crash. The scaffolding swayed, then buckled outward and fell onto the sidewalk and part of the road. Dust rose. Shoppers screamed. A bus stopped short to avoid debris. A delivery cyclist was thrown off his bike when a pole hit his wheel.

The building site had netting, but it tore. The structure landed on a bus shelter, crushing it. Shops on the ground floor were evacuated because glass fronts cracked. Oxford Street was closed between Tottenham Court Road and Soho. Traffic was diverted. Crowds gathered behind police tape.

The Health and Safety Executive said it would investigate. It said it would examine whether the scaffolding was tied to the building correctly and whether wind load was calculated. Gusts of 40 miles per hour were recorded at midday. The company that erected the scaffolding said it followed regulations.

London has seen several scaffolding collapses in recent years. A 2022 collapse in Holborn injured five. The HSE said enforcement is stretched because many sites use subcontractors. Safety audits are often paper checks. A union said workers had complained about loose ties at this site last week.

The department store said it would cooperate and that work would be halted until clearance. It said customers inside at the time were safe. It said it would review its contractor.

By evening, the debris was being cut apart by firefighters. The three injured were reported stable, with one in critical condition. Oxford Street remained partially closed. The scaffolding lay in a heap.