Police have confirmed that a man died on January 27 after being crushed and trapped beneath a public pop-up urinal. The incident occurred at Cambridge Circus in the West End of London, where the 60-year-old contractor Kevin Holding was performing device maintenance.
CCTV footage captured the moment the Westminster City Council toilet fell and trapped Mr. Holding, who was pronounced dead outside the nearby Palace Theatre at approximately 3:40 p.m. – two hours after he became trapped. Compression asphyxia was later identified as the cause of death.
The emergency services arrived at the scene at 1:05 p.m., but it took them some time to obtain the specialised lifting equipment necessary to free Mr. Holding. Unfortunately, it was too late by the time they began the rescue effort at 3:15 p.m.
Mr. Holding was employed by Hi-Tech Washroom Solutions Limited and resided in south-east London with his partner. His partner and daughter, who both attended the hearing, survive him.
In an effort to discourage street urination, pop-up toilets are stored underground and raised hydraulically to street level each night for public use. They were introduced approximately 20 years ago. The urinal that caused the death of Mr. Holding has since remained closed.
Prof. Fiona Wilcox, the coroner, expressed her “deepest condolences” to Kevin Holding’s family. The investigation into the accident’s cause is ongoing, and additional information will be released in due time.
