Woman dies, four injured in terrace collapse at French wedding party
Guests were having an early evening aperitif when the tragedy struck at the village hall. A investigation for manslaughter has been opened
The wedding guests were celebrating at the venue when part of the terrace collapsed, killing one and severely injuring four
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One person has died and four people were seriously injured when a terrace collapsed at a wedding party in central France at the weekend.
The incident happened on Saturday, July 27 in Saint-Pierre (Cantal, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) at around 18:15.
Around 150 people were at the event at the local village hall venue when part of the wooden, almost-100m2 terrace collapsed.
One woman, aged 69, died. Four severely injured people were taken to hospital for urgent care, but none are said to be in a life-threatening condition. Around 35 other people sustained less serious injuries.
“It was a festive wedding that had been taking place all afternoon in good spirits and joy, and then you arrive, you've just started to settle in for the aperitif and the tragedy happens. It was such a violent shock,” Fabrice Allaizeau, commander of the local Mauriac gendarmerie, told BFMTV.
“Emergency professionals were present at the wedding [and] the family's organisation was remarkable,” he said, which made it much easier for the emergency services to intervene quickly.
Major response team
A major incident response operation intervened to help the injured, involving the fire brigade, gendarmes and civil protection. Four helicopters, 20 vehicles, and 57 fire officers were at the scene, with reinforcements from Corrèze, and Puy-de-Dôme, the prefecture said.
The Cantal prefect activated the ‘Orsec’ plan, an emergency response plan deployed in the event of serious events. Similarly, the ‘plan blanc’ (a specific emergency plan for health establishments) was activated at the Mauriac and Aurillac hospitals, where the injured are being treated.
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A medical and psychological emergency unit has also been set up to help the victims and witnesses of the tragedy.
The Aurillac prosecutor has opened an investigation into what happened, for the charges of manslaughter and unintentional injury.
