Melbourne’s Wailing Wall: Death Toll Increases to Three

The death toll over the collapse of the Carlton United Brewery wall in Swanston Street now stands at three following the death earlier today of the young woman who initially survived the accident

Questions are being asked as to the design and construction of the recently added wooden hoarding attached to the masonry wall and the possibility that it may have acted as a lever increasing the wind loading and pulling the wall to collapse.

The City of Melbourne is responsible for issuing permits for the design and construction of building site hoardings.   It is unclear if a permit was issued for the new hoarding or if and when the site was inspected prior to its collapse.

A CCTV camera located on the adjoining RMIT building and pointed along the Swanston Street footpath may hold the key and vision of the walls collapse.

Link: For more analysis on the wall’s history and its collapse by Butterpaper