Three Pedestrians Hurt After Construction Scaffolding Crashes Down On Busy Melbourne City Street

Melbourne, Australia— Three pedestrians were injured when construction scaffolding gave way and crashed onto a busy CBD street during the lunch rush, sending metal and timber across the footpath.

The collapse occurred at about 12:40 p.m. on Elizabeth Street. The scaffolding was attached to a 12-storey mixed-use development. A section about 15 meters high peeled away. It fell onto the sidewalk and partly onto the road. Dust rose over the block.

Paramedics treated three people at the scene. A woman in her 30s suffered head and leg injuries. Two men in their 40s had fractures and lacerations. All three were taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital. One is in serious condition. Work on the site stopped immediately.

Office workers said they heard a loud creak, then a roar. One witness said he saw the frame sway before it dropped. Another said he pulled a woman out from under a fallen cross-brace. Traffic was stopped by construction workers before emergency services arrived.

"This should not happen on a footpath full of people," a WorkSafe Victoria inspector said on site. "We will look at how it was erected, how it was tied in, and what loading was on it."

The City of Melbourne closed the street between two blocks. Trams were diverted. Engineers were called to assess whether the remaining scaffolding was stable. Debris included steel tubes, planks, and shade cloth that covered the facade.

The builder said the scaffolding had been erected by a subcontractor and had been inspected earlier in the week. Records of those inspections were handed to investigators. The union said members had raised concerns about bracing after strong winds on Thursday.

WorkSafe issued a prohibition notice for the site. The scaffolding will remain in place, secured, until a full structural report is completed. Pedestrian access will be rerouted for at least 48 hours.

Investigators are asking for photos and videos from the minutes before the collapse.