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Mother dies after being crushed by pallet of bricks from crane in London

Michaela Boor struck minutes after dropping child off at school in Tower Hamlets

Tom Embury-Dennis
Thursday 29 March 2018 22:02 BST
Police cordon off area after bricks fall on woman in Mile End

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A woman who was struck by a pallet of bricks which fell from a building site in London has died, police have said.

Michaela Boor was hit by falling debris from a 100ft crane at a new housing development in Tower Hamlets on Tuesday morning, minutes after dropping her child off at school.

The 29-year-old, whose birthday was on Wednesday, was attended to by passers by, while others caught the aftermath of the accident on video. Footage showed Ms Boor unconscious on the pavement surrounded by rubble.

“I heard a loud bang so I came rushing over to see what had happened,” a witness, Alan Harris, told the East London Advertiser.

“One woman was out cold underneath the bricks and another woman next to her was screaming hysterically for an ambulance and looking up into the heavens.”

The London Ambulance Service later took Ms Boor, a jewellery designer, to an east London hospital.

But Scotland Yard said in a statement on Thursday: "The woman died in hospital at 10:40am on Thursday, 29 March. Her next of kin have been informed.

Colleagues of Ms Boor’s father, Matthew, set up a fundraising page in support of the family.

Maytrix Construction said on its Just Giving page: “One of our employees Matthew Boor was called away from work yesterday, following the tragic accident at Mile End - his work colleagues have asked us to start this page to help him and his family at this difficult time."

A Health and Safety Executive spokesperson said: “Inspectors have attended the site and are making ongoing enquiries in conjunction with the Metropolitan Police to investigate the circumstances of the incident.”

“As the investigation is ongoing we are unable to comment further at this time.”

The Met Police said in a statement another man at the scene was treated for shock.

Any witnesses or anyone with any information is asked to call police on 101 or contact via Twitter @MetCC, quoting reference CAD 2050/27MAR

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