TAMWORTH, New Hampshire: Six people were taken to hospitals in the area with non-life-threatening injuries after a floor collapsed at a wedding venue in Tamworth, New Hampshire, on March 21.
In a joint statement, the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal's Office and the Tamworth Fire/Rescue Department said the collapse happened around 4:30 p.m. while a wedding party of about 140 people was present at the Preserve at Chocorua. However, there were no fatalities, and four people treated at the hospital had already been released.
Tamworth, a town of about 2,800 people, is around 115 miles north of Concord, New Hampshire, near the western border of Maine.
The Fire Marshal's Office said that more than 100 people were gathered in a building called the Sap House at the venue when the floor caved in. It created a 20-by-20-foot opening and sent about 70 people into the basement. Several people were trapped by the collapsed beams and by farm equipment stored on the lower floor.
A spokesperson said late on March 21 that before emergency teams arrived, other guests and staff helped people who had fallen into the basement climb out using ladders. They also gave first aid to those with minor injuries. It is still unclear how many people were treated at the scene, and officials are continuing to assess the severity of the injuries.
A photo from the Fire Marshal's Office shows a chandelier and white decorations hanging from the ceiling above damaged, bent floorboards. It also shows stacked benches that had been used for seating at the wedding before the collapse.
The Fire Marshal's Office, along with the Tamworth Fire/Rescue Department, is investigating the incident. Officials believe the building was too crowded before the floor collapsed.
A first responder who arrived soon after the emergency calls said that about half of the floor in the area where the wedding was supposed to take place had collapsed into the basement. He also requested more responders to help speak with witnesses, noting that around 145 people were at the event. He added that teams were carefully rescuing people from the basement.
