Buildings in Leeds city centre have been evacuated after an “industrial incident” involving a crane, West Yorkshire Police has said.
Roads have been closed around Riverside Way and access to the area has been restricted as police deal with the scene.
The force said no-one was on the crane but did not give further details about the nature of the incident.
In a statement, the force said: “Access to the area has been restricted for pedestrians and road closures put in place. A number of buildings in the area are also being evacuated as a precaution.
“These closures are expected to be in place for some time and members of the public are advised to avoid the area and seek other routes.
“This is an ongoing incident and further updates will be provided in due course.”
Police at the scene told onlookers there was a danger a white tower crane operating close to Whitehall Road could collapse.
The crane is one of two around a half-built tower block between the road and the River Aire.
A cordon was in place on a 300m stretch of Whitehall Road, a short distance from Leeds Station, and riverside paths were also closed and guarded by officers.
Members of the public are being advised to avoid the area due to an industrial incident involving a crane on Riverside Way, Leeds.
— West Yorkshire Police (@WestYorksPolice) November 14, 2023
Access to the area has been restricted for pedestrians and road closures put in place.
Further updates in due course pic.twitter.com/oMPGvkvAIz
A nearby Premier Inn hotel was among the buildings evacuated and fire engines were spotted going in and out of the cordon.
One of the small group of onlookers said: “They’ve just said we can’t come through because that crane is in danger of collapse any minute.
“It looks OK to me but I would not want to be near it if it comes down.”
West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service said it was called to reports of an unstable structure on Riverside Way at around 1.35pm.
A spokesperson for the service said: “Two crews from Leeds are in attendance dealing with the structure which is a large crane. The area has been cleared of people – access is restricted and road closures are in place.”
National Rail said disruption to services was expected until the end of the day.
London North Eastern Railway (LNER) said trains running through Leeds station “may be cancelled or delayed” as emergency services dealt with an incident near the west end of the station.
The train operator said: “We’re working with our partners at Network Rail to get trains moving again as quickly as possible. We apologise for the inconvenience caused.”
