The woman who was struck by falling bricks as she passed a construction site in Mile End has died.
She has been named locally as Michaela Boor, who got engaged two weeks ago.
She passed away in hospital at 10:40am this morning.
The 29-year-old had been in a critical condition since the incident took place on Tuesday morning.
A crane dropped a pallet of bricks from a height of six storeys and it struck the woman as she walked passed the Burdett Road construction site, at the junction with St Paul’s Way.
The bricks fell from a crane on the Higgins Homes development Bow Corner.
Eyewitness Alan Harris, 74, who owns go-kart track Revolution Karting, which faces the development, described the horror of the accident’s aftermath.
“I heard a loud bang so I came rushing over to see what had happened,” he said.
“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.”
Mr Harris, 72, then phoned an ambulance and stressed “the seriousness of the situation” to the telephone operator.
Police officers, two ambulance crews and paramedics all attended the scene. London’s Air Ambulance was also despatched by car.
A man was treated at the scene as he was suffering from shock.
Cllr Shah Alam, who lives near the site said this “could have happened to anyone” and the footpath nearest to the site should have been closed.
He will be writing to the council to ask them to investigate, he says.
A Just Giving page has been set up by the colleagues of Ms Boor’s father, who is a construction worker himself.
You can donate here.
The woman’s next of kin have been informed and formal identification is yet to take place. A post-mortem examination will take place at a later date.
Higgins Construction have released a statement following Ms Boor’s death.
Richard Higgins, Chairman of Higgins Homes, said: “It is with great sadness and distress that we learned of the death of Michaela Boor.
“We are continuing to co-operate fully with the ongoing police and Health & Safety Executive investigation. Our thoughts remain with Michaela’s family and friends at this exceptionally sad time.”
Police officers from Tower Hamlets CID are investigating in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive.
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