A pedestrian was pronounced dead at the scene yesterday morning after a window unit fell from the 25th floor, reportedly the vacant penthouse unit, of Foster + Partners’ Corniche tower in central London.
The Corniche, a 26-story, mixed-use luxury tower, was completed last summer and sits on Albert Embankment, a former brownfield on the southern bank of the River Thames that has recently seen a suite of luxury development.
The man, reportedly a 53-year-old coach driver named Mick Ferris, was struck by the dislodged window unit—including the metal frame—at approximately 10:40 a.m. GST and was likely killed instantly. Images posted on social media from both inside and around the tower show the area cordoned off by the police and a missing window near the Corniche’s top floor.
“Our sympathies and condolences are extended to the family following this tragic incident,” said a Foster + Partners spokesperson when the firm was reached for comment. “We await further information.”
A spokesperson for St. James, both the developer and contractor for the project, expressed similar sympathies when reached for comment: “It is with great sadness that we learnt of an incident at our Corniche development on Albert Embankment on Tuesday, 2 October, 2018, in which a man suffered fatal injuries. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family at this incredibly difficult time. We are investigating this incident as a matter of urgency and working with the emergency services to establish what happened.”
An investigation into the accident is ongoing. The Health and Safety Executive, the U.K.’s workforce health and safety enforcement body, is cooperating with local police to determine the cause of the incident. AN will update this article as more information becomes available.
