9 injured after deck collapses at California home
Nine people were injured Saturday afternoon in California after a balcony collapsed at a beachfront home during a birthday party, dropping them 15 feet onto a rock beach.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. in Malibu, according to KABC.
“(There were) probably like 10 people on the back deck and we heard a crack and I literally saw all of my best friends and my girlfriend fall 15 feet to the rocks,” one witness told KABC. “It’s a freak accident. Like, I don’t know, I don’t know how that happens. I don’t know how that happens. So, it is pretty cut and dry. The deck literally just gave out.”
Investigators said the deck buckled under the weight of too many occupants. L.A. County Fire Department spokesman Ron Haralson said between 10 and 15 people were on the deck, according to KTLA.
Four of the injured people were taken to a nearby hospital for treatment, but none of the injuries were considered life-threatening.
“We are looking at approximately 10 to 15 feet … Down below are jagged rocks, large rocks, so a very dangerous situation and fortunately, no one was hurt seriously or killed in this situation,” Captain Haralson told KABC.
Investigators said officials will next determine whether there is any structural damage to the home.
