Deck collapse injures dozens in Montana

A witness to the collapse of the second-storey deck of a Montana lodge during a memorial event for a firefighter says about 50 people were gathered on the structure overlooking Flathead Lake.

Leslie Dillon told the Daily Inter Lake that she was on the deck when it collapsed and that she walked away with bruising. Dillon says many of her friends and relatives were taken away in ambulances.

Authorities say 32 people were taken to hospitals, NBC Montana reports. Lake County Sheriff Don Bell said six people were airlifted via helicopter. Bell says five people are in critical condition, but there are no reported fatalities.

The Somers Rural Fire Department says all patients were in stable condition as of 7 p.m. Saturday, but injuries range from mild to severe. The department says those injured range in age from children to the elderly.

The cause of the collapse on Saturday in Glacier Presbyterian Camp is under investigation.