Germany: 9 injured in balcony collapse
June 27, 2021
Nine young people were injured on Sunday after the wooden balcony they were standing on collapsed, the local fire department said.
Four individuals from the group, all aged between 21 and 24, were seriously injured, including one person who was left in a life-threatening condition.
The incident took place in the small town of Horn Bad Meinberg in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia in the early hours of the morning.
What happened during the accident?
According to the statement by the local fire department, four people were still trapped under the debris by the time they arrived.
The cause of the collapse is unknown, but according to the local newspaper Lippische Landes-Zeitung, the group fell through their own balcony as well as the balcony of the apartment below, before hitting the ground.
The firefighters — around 70 in total according to DPA — had to cut down a hedge before being able to free the individuals from the debris.
Seven ambulances and five emergency response teams were deployed. The injured were taken to hospital.
In 2015, six Irish students died after the balcony they were standing on collapsed during a birthday party in the US city of Berkeley in California.