skip to main content

Two still in hospital after museum incident

Natural History Museum - Two remain in hospital after staircase collapsed
Natural History Museum - Two remain in hospital after staircase collapsed

Two people remain in a serious condition in hospital following yesterday's staircase collapse at the Natural History Museum in Dublin.

A stone staircase in a part of the building not normally used by members of the public collapsed during a training exercise at around 11.30am.

All 11 people injured were museum staff members.

The Office of Public Works (OPW) said a preliminary investigation has found no definitive cause for the collapse of the staircase.

The OPW said investigations will continue over the weekend as well as a full safety audit of the entire building.

The Minister for Arts, Sport & Tourism Séamus Brennan has said the museum will remain closed for the foreseeable future.

The OPW has inspected a number of similar staircases in other public buildings and identified similar repair work at Dublin Castle and the National Museum on Kildare Street.

It said there was no evidence of 'cracking' or 'movement' detected but, as a precautionary measure, access to these buildings is being restricted until investigations are concluded.