St Ives stairway collapses at block of flats with one person airlifted to hospital

People have been seriously injured after a stairway collapsed at a block of flats in Cornwall, police have said.

Emergency services rushed to a property in Carthew Terrace in St Ives at around 7pm this evening. Police said there have been serious injuries as a result of the collapse, but didn't confirm how many people were injured. The stairway that collapsed was an external one.

Devon and Cornwall Police said one person was airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth. The Health and Safety Executive is conducting an investigation into what happened, with police officers assisting the investigation at the scene.

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A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: "At about 7pm this evening fire and ambulance attended a property on Carthew Terrace to report of an external stairway collapse. There have been significant injuries, one person has been airlifted to Derriford Hospital.

"At this time police are attending to support the investigation on behalf of the health and safety executive and there are scene closures in place at Carthew Terrace. There is no wider risk to the public."

Back in 2021, seven wedding guests were hospitalised when a wooden staircase collapsed as they posed for photos at a Holiday Inn hotel in in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire. The exterior stairway was constructed from the wrong type of wood and had not been properly maintained, the court heard.

A total of 10 guests plunged onto the hard courtyard below and seven had to be rushed to hospital. The court was told that two of the victims suffered long-term injuries.