Blackpool Pier accident: Famous UK tourist attraction closes after woman plunges through hole onto beach with 'huge thud' heard

Police, paramedics and fire crews rushed to the city's Central Pier at around 4.30pm yesterday (Tuesday 6 August) following the horror incident. It is understood that the woman may have fallen through part of the pier and landed on the beach below.

Images of the scene show a large hole along the pier which the woman is believed to have fallen through. One witness who was at the beach with his children said: "I was walking the beach with my kids and heard a thud. A huge thud next to me nearly on top of my head. A lady ploughed to the floor, smashing through the Central Pier. I was absolutely terrified... I thought she was dead."

The site was evacuated and closed off following the incident. The woman's condition was stabilised for an hour and a half before she was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital by ambulance, according to our sister title the Blackpool Gazette.

The outlet reported that the victim was a teenage girl, and there was no evidence boards had given way to cause the accident. Following the evacuation, the pier's arcade reopened at about 6pm, it is understood.

The woman's injuries are not yet known. In a statement, a Lancashire Police spokesperson confirmed: "We have received a report of a woman having fallen through a section of the pier in Blackpool at around 4.30pm today. The woman has been taken to hospital with injuries. The pier is currently closed."