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Pedestrian hit by flying debris from Doris
A pedestrian had a lucky escape when she was hit by a piece of debris blown off a building during Storm Doris.
The exterior cladding came off the ninth floor of a block of student accommodation on Bond Street South opposite Cabot Circus at about 12.30pm on Thursday afternoon.
Bond Street South and part of Temple Way were closed in both directions until the building could be declared safe, with the roads not due to reopen until 10am on Friday.
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It led to traffic gridlock across Bristol, with queues on the M32 and across the city.
“An exterior cladding panel was dislodged by the extraordinarily strong winds associated with Storm Doris and fell to the pavement below,” said a spokesman for Unite, the owners of Phoenix House.
“It struck a passer-by, who was naturally shaken, but fortunately appeared not to be seriously injured.
“Unite staff at Phoenix House provided her with initial assistance and support while the emergency services were contacted.
“The pavement and road directly outside Phoenix Court have been cordoned off by Police for safety reasons and will remain closed to pedestrians while building technicians work with the emergency services and city officials to inspect the building.”
A Bristol City Council spokesman said: “Motorists are being advised that Temple Way/Bond Street South in Bristol – including the Temple Way Underpass – are completely closed in both the Northbound and Southbound directions until further notice.
“The road has been closed since Thursday afternoon following an incident involving falling debris and will remain closed for safety reasons until at least tomorrow.
“Members of the public are urged to make alternate travel arrangements which avoid the city centre wherever possible. The M32 inbound should also be avoided.
“Where possible, selected lane closures in place for the MetroBus works have been re-opened early to help increase capacity on the network.”
Photo by Jake Greenwood
Read more: 10 things to do in Bristol this weekend, Feb 24-26 2017
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