At least 10 people were injured when the wooden balcony of a third-floor apartment collapsed Friday evening in Cincinnati, Ohio, officials said. One person is in critical condition, according to authorities.
Just before 10 p.m. local time, officials were dispatched to the scene of an 8-by-12-foot balcony collapse, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. Some of the 10 injured were University of Cincinnati students, fire department spokeswoman Lindsay Haegele said.
Cincinnati Fire Chief Frank McKinley told reporters the balcony collapsed at an apartment complex in the Corryville neighborhood, located right next to the University of Cincinnati campus.
Five of the people were seriously injured, while four had minor injuries, Capt. Stephen Bower of the Cincinnati Police Department said at a news conference. He described the building as a place where many students live.
“They had a big test today and they were celebrating,” Bower said.
The number of people present on the balcony at the time of its collapse was not immediately specified. In photos and videos posted online, a balcony is visible on the ground as firefighters and police officers work nearby.
The circumstances leading to the collapse were still unknown.
“From what we were told, it was a gathering, many of them students,” McKinley said.
The University of Cincinnati is offering to help find housing for any displaced students and offer grief counseling, firefighters said in an Enquirer article.
The situation is under investigation and the university has been informed.
