People evacuated from tower after crack develops

About 150 people have been evacuated from 70 flats in a high-rise block in north London after a crack developed in a ninth-floor wall.

A resident from The Combe in Munster Square, Camden, called London Fire Brigade (LFB) after hearing a loud noise within the building on Thursday night.

After seeing part of the wall had developed a crack, LFB took the decision to evacuate the building, said Camden Council, which is assessing the building.

Fifty residents stayed at a rest centre in Swiss Cottage on Thursday night, supported by the council and British Red Cross.

All residents without access to alternative accommodation have been advised by the council to move to the rest centre.

Volunteer Centre Camden has appealed for help to support those staying there.

A council spokesperson said the flats were evacuated on Thursday evening because a structural engineer had been called but wider checks were not possible at the time.

Engineers were at the site on Friday and "their assessments indicate the damage appears to be isolated to the flat where the crack was reported and that it will be possible to start repairs this afternoon", they added.

The spokesperson added emergency services had since left the site.

Student Sebastian Lis,19, who lives on the 12th floor, told BBC London he was relieved to hear he should be back in his flat by 21:00 GMT on Friday.

“The wall that was damaged was internal,” he said. “It wasn’t like any steel or brick damage, it was just some plaster in someone’s flat.”

The council-owned building is made up of a mix of tenants and leaseholders.

Richard Olszewski, leader of Camden Council, was at The Combe on Thursday night.

“The safety of our residents always comes first," he said.

“I appreciate nobody wants to leave their homes in these circumstances and all residents affected will be keen to know when it will be safe to return.

"We are working as quickly as we can, with our emergency partners and structural engineers, to understand when this might be and to ensure there are alternative arrangements in place for residents in the meantime."

He added: "I thank residents for their patience so far and to the emergency services who worked last night to ensure everyone was evacuated safely.”

Residents affected by the incident were told to call Camden Council's hotline on 020 7974 8865.

Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected]