Police cordon off a section of road after concerns
were raised about a bulge in a wall at the Islander
Resort Hotel in Surfers Paradise.
The arrow highlights the bulge in a wall at the
Islander Resort Hotel in Surfers Paradise.
STREETS and a car park were evacuated in the heart of Surfers Paradise after an ageing high-rise started 'bulging', sparking fears of a collapse.
Police declared an emergency zone around the Islander Hotel, a landmark Gold Coast resort and watering hole, after cracks appeared in an external brick wall.
It is believed the cracks first start appearing several days ago.
As a precautionary measure, police on Tuesday closed Beach Road between Surfers Boulevard and Ferny Avenue as Gold Coast City Council engineers were called in to assess the damage.
The nearby Bruce Bishop car park was also evacuated.
The resort itself was not evacuated as the wall was not connected to the part of the resort where guests stay - the damaged wall was connected only to fire escapes and an elevator shaft.
"The bulge has been there for several days, my understanding is there is not any imminent likelihood of it falling, however we have to take all safety precautions," said Gold Coast City Council's Acting Superintendent Des Lacy.
"If the bulge blows out the concern is all 20 metres (of the wall) could fall."
A crane will arrive at the scene Wednesday morning to give engineers a closer inspection of the damage and a better view of how to repair the building.
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