Floor collapses during huge party near University of Georgia

ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — At least 25 people were hurt when a floor collapsed during a massive party at a two-story house near the University of Georgia.

Athens Clarke-County police said the incident happened around 1 a.m. Friday in Athens. Police estimated 500 people were at the party when the first floor of the home collapsed into a crawl space, news outlets reported.

Injuries ranged from cuts and scratches to a possible broken arm, though investigators said the incident could have been much worse.

“We are grateful that this unexpected event didn’t turn out any worse than it did," said Capt. Nate Moss of the Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services Department. "Many times, overcrowding can result in collapses of decks and flooring, especially in older structures. The thing that helped, in this case, was the lack of elevation. These folks should consider themselves fortunate.”

Athens police were already at the scene removing people from the home when firefighters arrived. Firetrucks had a difficult time getting to the scene due to “massive amounts of vehicles and people blocking the street.”

“When our crews finally made it to the home, they found a two-story home over a high crawl space,” fire department officials said in a news release. “The majority of the first floor had collapsed into the crawl space due to dozens of people who had overcrowded the space while having a party.”

Code enforcement was contacted to see if the property could be condemned.