People hurt as building collapses in Belfast city centre

At least six workmen were injured in Belfast today when a building under construction collapsed.

Concrete was being poured into an area of the second floor which apparently gave way.

A number of workers had to be pulled free from falling steel girders, scaffolding and rubble.

Emergency services rushed to Victoria Street, near the centre of Belfast, where a new office block for the Northern Ireland Law Society was being built. It is due to open in 2009.

Today however, it was a scene of devastation as a major rescue operation was mounted.

It is believed that up to 60 workmen were on the site at the time and early this afternoon a search was under way to find out if anybody was trapped.

It is understood the two most seriously injured workers are Polish and employed by a company from Omagh, Co Tyrone.

Brendan Collins, 23, was beside the building when the scaffolding crashed to the ground.

He said: "I was in a lorry, pouring concrete. It looks like the supports underneath the building gave way, which caused machinery to fall on top of the workers.

"I helped to rescue them. I ran in with four or five other fellows and lifted the machinery off one of them. He was covered in blood and completely crushed."

The new building will eventually consist of seven floors of offices with ground floor shops and underground parking.

The men were working on the second floor of the construction site when it collapsed.

Tommy Combs, a security guard in a nearby office block, said: "I heard the crashing and ran out and it was in the process of collapsing. They were pouring concrete at the time and the workmen were shouting and screaming.

"It was like slow motion, just like watching a matchstick house collapse - there was complete pandemonium - it's just unbelievable."

All the workers were rescued alive and Mr Combs said: "They are damned lucky to have come out of that alive. I felt certain somebody had to be killed in it."

Search and rescue sniffer dogs were sent into the site as efforts continued to determine whether any workers remained trapped under the building.

Police said their information was that eight people had been rescued and taken to hospital - two seriously injured and six with non-life threatening injuries.

Police taped off streets up to 100m from the site to form a safety cordon.

Sympathies for the victims of the accident were expressed in the Northern Assembly by Stormont First Minister Ian Paisley.

The Democratic Unionist leader told MLAs: "I am sure our sympathies are with those who have suffered.

"I am sure also that we wish well those that are engaged in rescue work and we hope that all these people will be accounted for."

Mr Paisley also expressed concern about the latest bus crash in Co Tyrone.

The First Minister said: "These are tragedies and I trust that out of the darkness comes some light and some comfort for us all."