'Amazing' escape in Auckland scaffolding collapse

A witness is amazed no-one was killed when scaffolding collapsed with seven workers on it at the Panmure Bridge in East Auckland.

Three people from a painting company were taken to Middlemore Hospital, one with moderate injuries, and another person was taken to the local medical centre.

Local business owner Roger Hill was about 30m away when he saw the north side of the scaffolding fold and fall into the river this morning.

The workers, who were sent plummeting into the water, were lucky not to be killed or seriously injured, he said.

"They were sliding down and falling off, it was quite amazing."

Emergency services said six of the workers fell into the water. The other was trapped on the bridge, and was rescued with a turntable ladder.

Fire Service shift commander Carlos Dempsey said the collapse was reported at 9.45am.

Mr Hill said he was just about to have morning tea when he heard the structure start to collapse.

The scene looked a horrendous mess, with huge piles of scaffolding and sheets of plywood in the water, he said.

The workers were wearing life jackets, he said.

The scaffolding was erected by Affordable Scaffolding. Cowin Walsh, who works for another scaffolding company, said he was shocked to see it in such a state.

He also said he was surprised nobody had died.

"It looks like a kid's job and not done properly at all ... You can tell who ever did the right side has just rushed it and then it's collapsed, forcing the other side to fall."

Another man at the scene, who works with concrete, told RNZ he had admired the scaffolding's design and how safe it looked when it was unwrapped last week.

He was gobsmacked at what had happened, he said.

Topcoat Specialist Coating, the employer of the workers taken to Middlemore, declined to comment. Affordable Scaffolding had been contacted by phone but had not yet responded.

WorkSafe said it was investigating and could not comment while that was under way.

The bridge stands in a basin that forms part of the Tamaki River. It is up to about 10m deep in the area and often fast-flowing.