At least 16 individuals were injured when a roof collapsed at a packed house party in Oakland close to the campus of the University of Pittsburgh on Friday. A stunning video, now trending on social media, captures the moment when the porch roof was ripped away from the building, dropping dozens of party attendees crashing to the ground.
Dozens Were on the Roof When It Collapsed
According to the New York Post, 16 people were rushed to local hospitals with various injuries, three of them in serious condition. The most critical cases involved concussions and injuries to arms and legs.
Video posted on X (formerly Twitter) indicated that several people were standing on both the porch and the roof seconds before the surprise collapse. According to one of the witnesses, he had witnessed as many as 22 individuals packed onto the roof at the moment of the accident.
Carlton Gbur, who was unharmed, was surprised at how rapidly the party disintegrated. “It just fell. Everyone was having fun, and then no one was having fun,” he stated.
Partygoers Scrambled to Rescue Those Under the Debris
Students at the scene reacted quickly, attempting to lift the fallen structure and free those pinned under. “I was just scared for everybody that was down there. I was just sitting to the side and I saw it fall down,” said Dave Rentzel, a party-going student.
Michael Estocin, who happened to be on the roof when the incident occurred, gave a vivid description of the moment. “It all just happened in the blink of an eye, the roof just collapsed on us, it felt so scary, I really don’t have the words to comprehend how I felt in the moment,” he said to CBS News.
Hundreds Were at the Party
Authorities estimated that 300 to 500 students were in the courtyard at the time of the collapse. Emergency responders came to the site and subsequently verified that the main building was still structurally intact. Officials condemned, however, the rear porch area for safety reasons.
The University of Pittsburgh Police updated the public on social media, assuring that all those who were injured had been treated. The department also committed to working with city officials on the investigation.
“As a reminder, it is never safe to be on a rooftop,” their message stressed.
The reason for the collapse is still being investigated as authorities seek to ascertain if structural faults or overcrowding contributed to the accident.