Dozens hurt following floor collapse at South Carolina condo party

CLEMSON, S.C.— The floor of a condominium clubhouse near Clemson University collapsed during a large private party early Sunday, hurtling dozens of people into the basement, authorities said.

About 30 people were taken to local hospitals after the centre of the floor caved in at the clubhouse near the South Carolina university. Clemson City Police said nobody was trapped and none of the injuries appeared to be life-threatening. Video posted on social media shows a large part of the first floor falling as people danced, causing many of them to fall to the floor below.

Clemson sophomore Larissa Stone told the Independent Mail of Anderson that the room was “packed” and a popular song was playing when the floor collapsed.

“So everyone was jumping. The beat was about to drop and literally the whole floor collapsed,” she said. “It happened so quickly. I stood up, and everyone was trying to climb out. People are under other people. People are hurt. People are bleeding. I had blood on my sneakers. It was really bad.”

Partygoers screamed, and those who didn’t fall stood around the remaining edges of the floor and stared below in shock. A witness who attended the party said people were jumping and he heard a sudden “boom.”

“All you seen was falling, everybody’s hands up in the air,” Franzie Pendergrass told WYFF News 4.

Leroy Pearson said he went to try to help injured people and saw what he thought looked like broken ankles and legs.

Police said the clubhouse at The Woodlands, about four kilometres from Clemson, had been leased for a private party. Property manager Tal Slann told The Associated Press that the condominium complex was built in 2004-05. He said he could not comment on whether there was a limit on the number of people who were supposed to use the clubhouse at one time.