Trooping the Colour stand collapses in 'terrifying' Queen's birthday parade rehearsal

The Queen's Platinum Jubilee preparations were struck by disaster on Saturday after a stand collapsed during a rehearsal for the Trooping the Colour. 

• Preparations for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend were disrupted yesterday after a stand collapsed during a rehearsal of the annual Trooping the Color ceremony. 
• Three people were treated by medics at the scene and two more were taken to hospital, the London Ambulance Service has confirmed.
• In other royal news, Prince Charles shows off dance moves in traditional drum show in Canada.
  

Five people were given medical treatment yesterday after a stand collapsed during a Trooping the Colour rehearsal ahead of the Queen's Platinum Jubilee weekend. 

Crowds of people had gathered at Horse Guards Road in central London on Saturday morning to grab a sneak peek at the annual parade for Her Majesty's official birthday on Thursday, June 2 - only for the practice to take a horribly wrong turn. 

One spectators' stand 'gave way' at about 11 am, shortly before the collapse of a second stand, the British Army has confirmed. At the time of the incident, soldiers of the Household Division and The King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery were performing. 

The Armed Forces later blamed the collapse on a 'partial structural failing.' 

Emergency services were immediately called to the scene, where they rushed to find one woman who had disappeared beneath the bleachers. A witness has said that the paramedics' mission to rescue the victim, who was placed on a stretcher and carried into the ambulance, took 'several minutes'. They added that the woman was 'badly shaken' but 'seemed fine'. 

The London Ambulance Service has confirmed that two people were taken to a major trauma unit 'as a priority', with the three other victims being examined and discharged on location. 

Sam Miller, who watched the incident unfold in real time, said on Twitter that the collapse occurred just as the crowd, "stood up for the National Anthem."

Another witness said that "there was a loud bang" when the stand fell, followed by "a scream and a voice shouting 'help, help.'" 

TV presenter Zoe Clark-Coates, who was also at the scene, called the incident "terrifying". 

"Part of the floor in the stand collapsed, and at least one person fell through. We are praying for the injured and shocked," she said. "The stands are being evacuated."