King Street Collapse: Trauma & Blame

0:00On April 19th, a house on King Street in Oldham came crashing down three weeks ago, spilling bricks, tiles, and apartment contents onto the street below. It smashed into a mini-market and a bus stop, injuring five people. Dashcam caught cars dodging debris while pedestrians ran for cover. Over 40 folks got evacuated due to a gas leak, and the whole street still shut down for demolition. The building belonged to KKS investors, run by local duo Samir, Zool Cranane, and counselor Kamarang Gafoor, who's known around town as the HMO King. Locals had called emergency services weeks before, over worsening cracks in the walls. Gafoor says his company followed all rules and blames windy storms for the external wall giving way. Residents in social media are buzzing with anger, calling out years of complaints about Gafoor's properties, leaky roofs, faulty electrics, even a, past fine for renting out an unfit flat. Tenants report slow fixes, like recurring leaks in doors sealed with foam to keep out rodents.

1:04Some spots look rundown, others fine, but the patterns got folks questioning maintenance. Now the health and safety executives digging into what really happened, especially since a nearby collapse in 2016 might have weakened this. One, there's finger pointing, council inspectors said no immediate risk after a check, but Gafoor claims they okay tenants returning. Workmen were spotted on scaffolding right before it fell, sparking debates over if that, or the weather tipped it. While investigations drag on could take years, the displaced tenants deal with trauma, like nightmares of falling buildings. Landlords and officials trade blame, but everyday people pay the real price, waiting for answers and say for homes.