A 77-year-old woman, Clarice Berry, dies after a large gable wall at a rental property in Wigan collapses on 18 July 2021. The wall, described as weighing about 3,800kg, falls and crushes her, causing fatal chest injuries.
A coroner’s findings reported by outlets say the damage and safety concerns were raised well before the collapse—about eight years earlier. The reports indicate that issues relating to the condition of the wall had been identified prior to Berry’s death, but the collapse occurs years later.
Outlets present the same core facts: the collapse, the fatal injuries, the location and date, and the coroner’s conclusion that earlier concerns existed. The coverage differs mainly in emphasis, with some focusing on the timeline of reported deterioration and others on the scale of the wall and the circumstances of Berry’s death.
