- .Eight men fell from first floor in Cadogan Square, Knightsbridge at 10am
- .Workers were carrying a sofa when the balcony and railings collapsed
- .One person died on street and the other at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington
- .The six other workers were treated for minor injuries at the scene
- .Cadogan Square is one of London's wealthiest streets with £25m homes
Two removal died and six others were injured today after part of the first floor balcony of a £7million apartment on one of London's most exclusive streets collapsed.
The victims are believed to be part of a removal team carrying a sofa out of the luxury flat Cadogan Square in Knightsbridge.
Local MP Greg Hands said the combined weight of the workers and the furniture caused the balcony to collapse, sending workmen and the sofa tumbling around 30ft to the ground at 10am.
Two people died, one in the street and another in a Paddington hospital, and six others were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Cadogan Square is among London's most exclusive addresses with flats worth up to £10million and houses £25million, with former residents including Jose Mourinho and Sven-Goran Eriksson.
Tragedy: This balcony collapsed on the exclusive Cadogan Square in Knightsbridge this morning - killing two people and injuring at least six (file picture)
Incident: A police forensic tent covers one of the bodies at the scene this afternoon
Forensics: Detectives were also on the balcony and in the flat today as they investigate how the two workmen were killed
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People have described their horror as they saw the balcony come down in the five-story building and then then scene as paramedics treated the injured.
The square has been shut off today by police, who are investigating what happened.
It is not clear how many people were on the balcony and how many were below.
In London flats it is quite common for large items like sofa, beds and pianos to be moved in or out via balconies.
Today pictures of the scene showed how ropes and a pulley system used to move the furniture was still in place.
Vera Skeete said his mother Theresa Roberts was left in shock by what she saw at around 10.30am. Mr Skeete said: 'Mum was walking past and she saw them laying on the floor. They were not even covered up. It gave her a heart attack.'
Another witness said at least one man landed on sharp railings at ground level.
The resident said: 'I didn't see the accident happen, but I saw the aftermath. There was a lot of screaming and shouting.
'One man was impaled on the railings. He looked in a very bad way, I think he was one of the men who died'.
Cadogan Square has long been among the most prestigious addresses in London.
It is the heart of Earl Cadogan's estate and lies just off Sloane Street, where the capital's most exclusive haute couture boutiques are found.
It is home to bankers and top executives and properties are also believed to be owned by tycoon Flavio Briatore and entrepreneurial jeweller to the stars, Theo Fennell.
Prestigious: The Square is considered among London's most exclusive addresses with flats worth at least £10million and houses going for £25million or much more
In shock: A Neighbour looks out from the next door flat as police investigate exactly what happened
Probe: Police have taped off and put a tent up around the area where the men fell and were fatally injured
Statements: Witnesses said that all the men fell to the ground and some ma have been injured by the railings
Neighbour Abel Damoussi said there was lots of building work in the square, usually by well-known professional companies.
He said he had seen ropes hanging from the balcony, which had looked 'amateurish'.
He added that he heard an 'unusual commotion' in the usually peaceful square.
'There was a lot of noise, which we don't usually have that early in the morning,' he said.
'It was only when I came out the building and found Cadogan Square cordoned off that I realised something had happened.
'You don't attach ropes to a railing when you are going to remove a piece of furniture.
'Usually an engineer can calculate the load bearing you can exert on such a rail, especially when you can see the balcony is suspended'.
Speaking on Sky News, Tory MP Greg Hands said he understood those injured to be removal men.
The area is full of residential property, with many of the buildings divided into flats.The iron railing appears to have fallen away, though the brick base does not appear to be damaged.
A number of long ropes are hanging from the balcony to the ground where plastic sheets are gathered.
A police tent has been erected on the pavement and the street has been closed to the public.
An eye witness described being told by police to get back inside his home minutes after the accident.
The man, called Jason, said: 'I was shouted at by police to get back indoors.
'I live in a basement and I'm a smoker so I wanted to go outside as the wife would kill me if I smoke indoors.
'I opened the door and the police were everywhere. One shouted at me 'if you haven't seen anything get back inside', so I did.'
Before and after: The ropes where furniture was being carried were still in place, left, and the picture on the right shows what it looked like befoe the accident
Grand: The square is home to the rich and famous who either have flats or own the whole of the five-story properties there
Raj Ramanoop, who lives in the square, said he had been alerted by a friend in a nearby embassy who initially told him scaffolding had come down.
Mr Ramanoop said: 'By the time I got back here the police had cordoned off the whole street.
'I heard it was a sofa or furniture - we don't know whether it was coming in or going out because you don't look at these things.'
An London Ambulance Service spokesman said: 'We were called at 9.58am to Cadogan Square to reports of an incident. We sent three ambulance crews, an advanced paramedic, a hazardous area response team and London's Air Ambulance.
'We treated eight patients. Every effort was made to rescusitate a patient but sadly one man died.'
Scotland Yard said officers, paramedics and an air ambulance were called to the square.
A spokesman said: 'One man was pronounced dead and the scene. A second man was taken to a central London hospital in a critical condition where he later died.
'An investigation is underway to establish the circumstances'.
They said they are trying to find the next of kin and the Health and Safety Executive and the local council have been informed.
London Fire Brigade Station Manager Richard Scrivener, who was at the scene, said: 'When we arrived we made the scene safe, securing parts of the iron balcony that had broken away in the fall.
'Crews assisted London Ambulance Service to provide first aid to those injured in the fall as well as to a number of onlookers who were suffering from shock.'
Caroline Jennings of Cadogan Estates, who property in the area, said: 'It's incredibly sad. It's not our property and we are not involved'.
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