More than 40 residents were evacuated after a building collapsed on King Street in Oldham, Greater Manchester, on 24 March. The incident has sparked fears of human trafficking, as some neighbouring properties are believed to have housed overcrowded rental flats with no official record of occupants.
Initial inquiries suggested an undocumented person may have been trapped under the debris, prompting a major rescue operation. However, it remains unclear how many individuals may be involved. Greater Manchester Police attended a multi-agency meeting today to discuss the concerns.
The collapsed building, which housed flats and the Euro King Mini Market, is part-owned by councillor Kamran Ghafoor and business partner Sameer Zulqurnain through their company KKS Investors since 2019. Those living in the collapsed property are not believed to be connected to the human trafficking concerns.
Five people were injured, with two treated in hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. A man who was inside the building described being 'traumatised and unable to sleep'. A missing person was later found safe at another location.
The Health and Safety Executive is investigating the cause of the collapse. The National Crime Agency declined to comment on any ongoing investigations.
