Up to 50 injured in residential ceiling collapse near Houston
As many as 50 people may been injured Thursday in the collapse of a ceiling at a residential building in a western Houston suburb, a Houston Fire Department spokesman said.
An official with the West I-10 Fire Department told the Los Angeles Times that at least 15 ambulances had been sent to the site near Katy. The department’s spokesman said he could not immediately comment on what happened.
“They have reports of multiple patients due to a structural collapse of the residence,” Houston Fire Department spokesman Ruy Lozano told The Times. The Houston Fire Department also sent ambulances to the scene in addition to an “ambu-bus” that could carry multiple patients, he said.
Later Lozano told KHOU-TV that as many as 50 people may have been hurt.
Helicopter footage from KHOU-TV showed a crowded scene in a residential area, with some victims being strapped to stretchers as dozens of people looked on.
One KHOU-TV reporter tweeted that the ceiling of a garage apartment had collapsed during a large gathering.
Many male onlookers in ceremonial white gowns and women in colorful clothing could be seen at the scene.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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