Hundreds evacuated from east London towers after 'disastrous' crack discovered

Residents moved in the middle of the night as London Fire Brigade warns of 'imminent risk to life'

By LineZotpaper

Published23 October 2026

Read Time3 min

Hundreds of residents were evacuated from two tower blocks in Canning Town, east London, in the early hours of Friday morning after a crack was discovered in a concrete slab supporting the buildings. The London Fire Brigade assessed the structure as posing an 'imminent risk to life', prompting a full evacuation that was completed around 3am.

Residents of the Sovereign and Centurion towers in Canning Town were evacuated overnight after a crack was found in a concrete slab supporting the two buildings. Some residents had received an email about the fault on Thursday afternoon, but the full evacuation was not completed until 3am on Friday, with firefighters scrambled to the scene.

Those evacuated were offered beds in a nearby council building, but have not been told when they can return to their homes. A meeting was held on site between Newham Council and property management company Prime on Friday, with senior managers and engineers present. An investigation has been launched into the problems that triggered the evacuation.

One resident, posting on Reddit, said that residents 'don't have a clear picture of what's going on'. Documents posted on the site, which appear to have been sent by Prime to residents, say that the crack in the slab poses an 'imminent risk to life' and could result in the collapse of the buildings. The user wrote that emergency services came knocking on doors at around 3am, advising residents to evacuate due to an imminent risk to life.

While the emergency services were 'very helpful', the poster wrote that a 'WhatsApp group with other residents is quite frantic with everyone being a bit lost.'

A person who lives in one of the towers told Metro: 'There were whole families standing on the street freezing and confused. We have been told the building is not safe but have been offered nothing in the way of support yet. There are loads of questions we have, including how long has this potentially disastrous crack been there.'

Another resident said: 'The big question is how long has this problem been there and was it built to code. To be evacuated so suddenly suggests the situation was very serious and potentially life threatening.'

A London Fire Brigade statement said: 'Firefighters were called to reports of a dangerous structure at a residential building on Hoy Street in Canning Town. Crews assisted with the evacuation of residents to a rest centre. The scene was left with the management of the building.'

The Standard has approached Prime for comment.

Analysis

Why This Matters

Hundreds of residents have been displaced from their homes with no clear timeline for return, raising immediate humanitarian concerns.
The discovery of a structural crack that could lead to collapse raises questions about building safety standards and maintenance in residential towers.
The incident is likely to put pressure on Newham Council and the property manager to provide transparent communication and support to affected residents.

Background

Building safety remains a sensitive issue in the UK following the Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, which exposed systemic failures in the regulation and maintenance of high-rise residential buildings. Subsequent reviews and legislation, such as the Building Safety Act 2022, were intended to improve oversight, but incidents like this evacuation show that structural risks still emerge. The two towers in Canning Town are managed by Prime, with oversight from Newham Council.

Key Perspectives

Residents: They were evacuated suddenly in the middle of the night, many left without clear information about when they can return or what caused the crack. Some report a lack of support and confusion, with a frantic WhatsApp group trying to coordinate.

Newham Council and Prime: The property management company and local authority are holding meetings with engineers and senior managers. They face the challenge of assessing the structural risk, ensuring resident safety, and communicating next steps while an investigation is underway.

London Fire Brigade: The LFB responded quickly to reports of a dangerous structure, assisting with evacuation. Their statement focuses on their operational role, but the severity of their assessment, 'imminent risk to life', underscores the seriousness of the situation.

What to Watch

The outcome of the investigation into the crack: its cause, whether it was previously known, and if it points to wider structural issues.
When residents will be allowed to return to their homes, and what alternative accommodation is provided in the interim.
Any statements from Prime or Newham Council about next steps, engineering reports, and potential legal or regulatory consequences.

Sources

Hundreds evacuated from east London towers after 'disastrous' crack discovered · The Standard London

Checked

9 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 6 supported.

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SupportedHundreds were evacuated from east London towers after a ‘disastrous’ crack was discovered.The Standard London: “Hundreds evacuated from east London towers after 'disastrous' crack discovered.”
Partly supportedThe London Fire Brigade warned that the structure posed an ‘imminent risk to life’.The Standard London: “Documents posted on the site, which appear to have been sent by Prime to the tower’s residents, say that the crack in the slab poses an “imminent risk to life””
SupportedThe full evacuation was completed around 3am on Friday.The Standard London: “a full evacuation was not complete until 3am on Friday”
Partly supportedThe meeting between Newham Council and Prime was held on site on Friday, with senior managers and engineers present.The Standard London: “A meeting was being held on site between Newham Council and property management company Prime on Friday, with senior managers and engineers on site.”
Partly supportedAn investigation into the problems that triggered the evacuation has been launched.The Standard London: “An investigation is being launched into the problems that triggered the evacuation.”
SupportedDocuments posted on Reddit said the crack posed an imminent risk to life and could result in the buildings collapsing.The Standard London: “Documents posted on the site, which appear to have been sent by Prime to the tower’s residents, say that the crack in the slab poses an “imminent risk to life” and could result in the collapse of the buildings.”
SupportedA resident posting on Reddit said residents ‘don't have a clear picture of what's going on’.The Standard London: “One resident posted on Reddit saying that residents “don't have a clear picture of what's going on”.”
SupportedA resident told Metro that whole families were standing in the street, freezing and confused, and had not been offered support.The Standard London: “There were whole families standing on the street freezing and confused. We have been told the building is not safe but have been offered nothing in the way of support yet.”
SupportedThe London Fire Brigade said firefighters were called to reports of a dangerous structure and helped evacuate residents to a rest centre.The Standard London: “Firefighters were called to reports of a dangerous structure at a residential building on Hoy Street in Canning Town. “Crews assisted with the evacuation of residents to a rest centre.”