Man dies after falling from 15-storey tower block as neighbours say they heard 'a big scream'

By OLIVIA DAY, ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR, AUSTRALIA Published: 09:02, 4 July 2026 | Updated: 09:02, 4 July 2026 A man has died after plunging from a 15-storey tower block in Essex as stunned neighbours recall hearing a 'big scream and a crash of glass'. Police rushed to Grampian Tower on Salisbury Avenue, Westcliff-on-Sea just after 6am on Friday after receiving reports of a 'disturbance'. A second call to police 'reported significant concern for a man outside the block'.  The man was found dead outside the block by emergency services. It has not been confirmed which floor he fell from.  Residents are said to be 'shaken up' by the incident. Leanne Richardson, who is 28 weeks pregnant and lives in the tower, said she was 'shell-shocked' and had to visit her doctor to 'recuperate'. 'I came out this morning and there was a crime scene while people were dropping their kids off at school,' she told the Southend Echo.  Resident Jaime Hughes said she was woken by a 'loud bang' and a 'thump'.  A man has died after plunging from a 15-storey tower block in Essex (pictured) as stunned neighbours recall hearing a 'big scream and a crash of glass' 'A window is smashed and it looks like a person went through it,' she said.  'It was really loud. A sleeping bag was covering the body. It's bad and not nice at all. It makes me not want to live here anymore. If that can happen anything can happen. It's awful. I heard a thump and after it was dead quiet.' Police, paramedics and forensic officers descended on the tower block on Friday as officers cordoned off the area. Residents were seen gathering outside the cordon as detectives scoured the scene for clues and made door-to-door enquiries.  Police have launched an investigation into the man's 'unexpected' death.  A spokesman for Essex Police said on Friday: 'At this stage, no arrests have been made and our work is progressing, which includes taking statements from witnesses, carrying out door-to-door enquiries and CCTV checks. 'As part of that work there will be a policing presence in the area throughout the day.' Police asked anyone with information or CCTV relating to the incident to get in touch.  A spokesperson said: 'We're particularly interested in footage from in and around Grampian flats between 12am and 7am this morning. 'Please quote incident 212 of 3 July when getting in touch.' Grampian Tower is one of three tower blocks on the Balmoral estate which contain 231 homes in total. Each block contains about 77 flats.  The Daily Mail has contacted East of England Ambulance Service for comment. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. We’ll ask you to confirm this for your first post to Facebook. You can choose on each post whether you would like it to be posted to Facebook. Your details from Facebook will be used to provide you with tailored content, marketing and ads in line with our Privacy Policy.