Emergency services rushed to St Thomas’ Road in Hastings on Thursday evening after receiving reports of a building collapse that sent shockwaves through the community. East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service (ESFRS) was mobilised at 6:02 pm to the scene, where they found a structure teetering on the brink of further collapse.
ESFRS teams, accompanied by a structural engineer and representatives from Hastings Borough Council, coordinated an urgent evacuation of the building’s occupants.
A neighbour, caught amid the chaos recounted the moment to Sussex News: “I was doing the next-door bins then it went. I was 10 meters away when it happened. Quite shocked.”
An ESFRS spokesperson provided details of the operation, stating, “We attended the scene along with a structural engineer and Hastings Borough Council representatives. Crews assisted the building’s residents in evacuating safely. We are relieved to report no injuries from this incident.”
