University homecoming party roof collapses, 28 injured, ambulances crowded on roads

According to the New York Post,Virginia A college homecoming party was organized in a house on Friday night. Unexpectedly, the wooden patio in the backyard suddenly collapsed, injuring at least 28 people. Of those, 13 people were sent to the hospital by rescue workers, and 15 people sought medical treatment on their own. William and Mary confirmed that students from the school were among the injured. City officials said none of the reported injuries were life-threatening.

The city reported that at approximately 10:07 p.m. that night, police received a report that a building had collapsed in the 200 block of Matoaka Court in Williamsburg. When police and fire fighters arrived at the scene, they found that the roof at the rear of the house had collapsed.

According to information released by the city on Saturday morning, rescue workers sent 13 people to the hospital, and 15 others went to seek medical treatment on their own.

Neighbors told WAVY-TV that a homecoming party was being held at the residence at the time of the incident. Unexpectedly, the roof suddenly collapsed. A large number of rescue workers arrived immediately, and the entire street was filled with ambulances and fire trucks.

A neighbor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “The entire road was filled with ambulances and fire trucks. The vehicles were stretched all the way and were circling around. We saw several stretchers being taken out of the ambulances. At least nine ambulances were parked on the road, almost taking up the entire road.”

Joshua Wise, who lives next door to the house where the incident occurred, told WAVY that several of his classmates were also involved in the accident. When he returned to his residence, the rescue operation had ended, but he learned that his roommate was assisting the injured and provided as much assistance as possible, including taking people home or taking them to where they needed to go.

“Words travel very fast,” Wise said.

She also praised her neighbors for supporting each other after the accident, saying, “We did everything we could to help each other, and I think that’s really beautiful.”

Ginger Ambler, senior vice president for student affairs and public safety at the College of William & Mary, issued a message to the campus community on Saturday saying the school is still gathering pertinent information. Apart from the initial count, there may be other students who may be seeking medical help themselves, he said.

“We are grateful that none of the injuries were life-threatening,” Ambler wrote.

He said staff from campus health services, academic departments and student support units are working together to assist students affected by the incident. He also reminded that this accident can have varying degrees of psychological impact on students.

“We understand that experiences like this can have a profound impact on students and that each individual’s feelings and reactions may be different,” Ambler said.

Wise expressed his gratitude to the rescue workers who arrived at the scene. He said, “I am really grateful to the emergency personnel. They did a great job and the ambulance and other rescue personnel arrived very quickly.”

At present, local police and firefighters have completed the emergency response on-site, and city officials are contacting nearby hospitals to confirm the actual number of people receiving treatment. The city’s Code Compliance Division has also begun assessing and inspecting the location.