San Diego Stairwell Collapse Injures 21 Children In Barrio Logan Gym

At least 21 children were injured when a stairwell collapsed at an indoor gym in Barrio Logan, San Diego, on Saturday.

The incident occurred 7:40 p.m. local time (10:40 p.m. EST) at Vault PK on Main Street near Sigsbee Street. Firefighters from the San Diego Fire Department (SDFD) rushed to the large warehouse that shares space with a paintball facility and Crossfit gym.

According to NBC San Diego, 21 children were transported to various hospitals nearby with minor to moderate injuries, a SDFD spokesperson said.

Apart from that, two adults between the ages of 46 and 72 were also injured when the 20-by-30 foot wooden deck and stairwell collapsed. Three or four victims have suffered serious spinal injuries, although all of them are expected to survive.

The police also dug out a woman from under the rubble, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The extent of the woman’s injuries is not known. Distressed parents rushed to the facility to be reunited with their children.

The authorities have not yet released any official cause behind the collapse of the stairwell. However, an unidentified parent of one of the children who was not injured in the incident, said that the structure might have broken down because many children were running up and down from a loft to get pizza.

Apparently, a coupon that had been offered for the evening’s event was being availed by many excited children, and in the rush an overwhelming amount of pressure might have been put on the stairwell. The facility in question includes trampolines and bouncy houses.

Joe Saari, a parent of two children, who suffered minor bruises due to the collapse, said that when he and his wife dropped off their kids at the facility, there were 100 to 150 kids at the center. Following the incident, one of their children called them up, and that is when they rushed back to the facility.

Zachary Smith, who was standing on a platform above the stairwell, which was often used as a “viewing area” said that he fell on top of a little girl when the structure gave way. However, none of them were injured. His son, however, who was attending a birthday party at the facility and was standing in line for pizza at the time, suffered minor injuries. Smith said that the “freak accident” could have been avoided if the structure was built to hold the weight of a larger crowd.

Vault PK specializes in parkour, a sport that requires athletes to complete obstacle courses often by launching themselves from structure to structure. On the particular night that the incident took place the gym was open for children between the ages of five and 14.

After the incident children were seen huddled in groups – some with their parents and guardians – outside the center, as emergency service vehicles lined the area. Many victims were being carried off in ambulances by medical personnel.