Fourteen people were injured Saturday after a group of people caused a house roof near the Ohio State University campus to collapse, authorities said.
Columbus Division of Fire Battalion Chief Steve Martin said the collapse was caused by people standing on the roof of the house. According to witness statements, the number of people varied from 15 to 45, Martin said.
Fire officials were called at about 7:40 p.m. on a report that a roof had collapsed with people trapped underneath. When officials arrived at the Columbus, Ohio home, they found the roof had fallen to the ground, which caused the porch to detach from the house.
The rest of the house remained intact.
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What caused the collapse?
Martin said the collapse was caused by people standing on the roof of the house and that according to witness statements, the number of people varied from 15 to 45.
Martin said “a few” people had their legs slightly pinned under the structure, but they were freed by others.
First responders took 14 people to nearby hospitals, where they are reported to be in stable condition. Other people “in various stages of injury” took themselves to the hospital for treatment, Martin said.
“Clearly, the roof was not designed to carry that kind of weight,” Martin said.
The Columbus Department of Building and Zoning Services has been contacted to inspect the house to determine whether the collapse was due to the number of people on the roof or maintenance/structural issues such as rotted wood, Martin said.
What are Ohio State officials saying?
Ben Johnson, senior director of media relations at Ohio State, directed all questions about the incident to the fire division.
“On behalf of the university, I can add that we have been monitoring this serious situation closely and assisting first responders in any way possible,” he said. “Our thoughts are with the individuals who were present and their friends and family.”
The home is not on the property of The Ohio State University. The main campus in Columbus has an enrolled student population of 61,677 for the 2022-2023 school year, according to the university’s website.
The names of the homeowner or occupants were not immediately available.
Contributing: The Associated Press