BELLA VISTA, Ark. — A deck collapse in Bella Vista sent multiple people to the hospital around 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 4.
According to an incident report, the owner of the house told responders he was having a birthday party for his wife where around 40 people were in attendance.
About 12 people were on the back deck when the owner told police he heard a loud crash. The initial crash entrapped the 12 people, but all were eventually removed.
The report says nine were injured from the incident, some with broken bones, according to officials.
The deck, 12 to 15 feet off the ground, appeared to have collapsed from the weight, according to Cassi Lapp with the City of Bella Vista.
The "L-shaped deck" had portions added to the house's original design. According to the report, the part of the deck that was added to the house was the part that collapsed.
"It appeared the new portion of the deck and the old portion had separated from each other," the report says.
All injured attendees were treated by fire department personnel. Emergency services transported six people with injuries to nearby hospitals. The three others signed EMS refusal forms and stayed at the residence.
May is National Deck Safety Month, which is an initiative created by the North American Deck and Railing Association (NADRA) to encourage homeowners to inspect the safety of their decks before large gatherings kick-off for the summer.
Pictures:
Photos: Bella Vista deck collapse
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.