Investigation underway after balcony collapse near UC sends 10 to hospital

Students saw the damage in the daylight Saturday

CONTINUES. ANOTHER TOP STORY TONIGHT. UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI STUDENTS REACTING AFTER A BALCONY COLLAPSED OFF CAMPUS, SENDING TEN PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL. IT HAPPENED FRIDAY NIGHT JUST AFTER 10:00 AT AN APARTMENT NEAR UC MEDICAL CENTER. THE COLLAPSE UNDER INVESTIGATION. TONIGHT, NEWS FIVE’S SEAN MACKINNON JOINING US LIVE THERE FROM THE SCENE. SHAWN, YOU WERE THERE LAST NIGHT AND TONIGHT. I KNOW YOU TALKED WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE. WHAT’S THE VERY LATEST AT THIS HOUR? YEAH, STUDENTS WERE VERY SHAKEN UP LAST NIGHT AFTER WATCHING THEIR FRIENDS GET TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL AND AMBULANCES TONIGHT, THE WOODEN BALCONY STILL HERE AFTER IT FELL ABOUT 20FT. OTHER STUDENTS LIVING HERE TONIGHT SAY THEY’RE AFRAID TO GO OUT ON THEIR BALCONIES. NOW. SATURDAY, THE DAMAGE VISIBLE IN THE DAYLIGHT. IT IS REALLY SHOCKING. I DIDN’T THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY THAT BAD. THE WOODEN BALCONY IN PIECES, NAILS STICKING OUT OF THE PLANKS, A SMALL GRILL AND A CHAIR AMONG THE WRECKAGE. CINCINNATI FIRE SAYS IT’S STILL INVESTIGATING EXACTLY HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ACTUALLY ON THE BALCONY WHEN IT COLLAPSED, WHETHER IT WAS TEN OR MORE THAT IT CAN’T SUPPORT IS SUPER SCARY, AND IT MAKES ME THINK ABOUT MEIN NOW FOR SURE. FRIDAY, JUST AFTER TEN, DOZENS OF CINCINNATI FIRE UNITS CALLED TO STETSON STREET, A BALCONY COLLAPSE WITH SERIOUS INJURIES. CALLER REPORTING 20 PEOPLE FELL WHEN A BALCONY COLLAPSED. A MINIMUM OF 20FT, 20 PATIENTS FELL FROM A BALCONY COLLAPSED. CINCINNATI POLICE SAY STUDENTS AT THE APARTMENT WERE CELEBRATING PASSING AN EXAM THE NIGHT, QUICKLY TURNING TRAUMATIC. PRAYING FOR THEM AND HOPE THEY’RE OKAY. CINCINNATI FIRE TOOK TEN PEOPLE TO THE HOSPITAL, FIVE WITH SERIOUS INJURIES, FOUR MINOR AND ONE PERSON RUSHED INTO SURGERY WITH LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. STARK 19. HOW MANY AMBULANCES DO WE HAVE RESPONDING? 19 ONE. YOU MIGHT WANT TO SEND ME 3 OR 4 MORE. THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE LAYING AROUND THE CITY OF CINCINNATI’S DEPARTMENT OF BUILDINGS AND INSPECTIONS WERE THERE FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE INVESTIGATION BEGAN. THEY ASSESS STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE COLLAPSE, THINGS LEADING UP TO THE COLLAPSE. AND SO WE’RE ABLE TO PUT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER SO WE’LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF EXACTLY WHAT OCCURRED. I’VE REACHED OUT TO CINCINNATI POLICE FOR AN UPDATE ON THE PERSON WHO WENT INTO SURGERY WITH LIFE THREATENING INJURIES. JUST HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE ON THE WOODEN BALCONY WHEN IT COLLAPSED AND THE STRUCTURE’S INTEGRITY ALL UNDER INVESTIGATION TONIGHT? LIVE IN KORIR. VILLE SEAN MACKINNON WLWT NEWS FIVE. ALL RIGHT, SHAWN, THANK YOU. OF COURSE, THIS IS A STORY WE’LL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW AS IT DEVELOPS IN THE DAYS AND WEEKS AHEAD, WE’LL BRING YOU THE VERY LATEST INFORMATION AS IT COMES IN ONLINE, ON AIR, AND O

Updated: 8:44 AM EDT Oct 19, 2025

Sean MacKinnon

Reporter

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Investigation underway after balcony collapse near UC sends 10 to hospital

Students saw the damage in the daylight Saturday

Updated: 8:44 AM EDT Oct 19, 2025

Sean MacKinnon

Reporter

Friday, just after 10 p.m., dozens of Cincinnati fire units were called to Stetson Street near UC Medical Center for a balcony collapse with serious injuries."Caller reporting 20 people fell when a balcony collapsed a minimum of 20 feet," a Cincinnati fire dispatcher said. Cincinnati police say students at the apartment were celebrating passing an exam before the night quickly turned traumatic."Praying for them and hope they're OK," said Bailee Spencer, who lives at the apartment complex.Cincinnati Fire took 10 people to the hospital: Five with serious injuries, four minor and one person rushed into surgery with life-threatening injuries.Saturday, the damage was visible in the daylight. The wooden balcony is in pieces with nails sticking out of the planks. A small grill and a chair among the wreckage.Cincinnati fire says it's still investigating exactly how many people were actually on the balcony when it collapsed."Whether it was 10 or more that it can't support, is super scary and it makes me think about mine now for sure," Spencer said."Yeah, that does really shock me. I feel like it should be more supportive than that," said Alexa Centers, a second-year UC student. The city of Cincinnati's department of buildings and inspections was there Friday night as the investigation began."They assess structural integrity, the collapse, things leading up to the collapse, and so we're able to put all this information together so we'll have a better idea of exactly what occurred," said Frank McKinley, fire chief of the Cincinnati Fire Department.

CINCINNATI —

Friday, just after 10 p.m., dozens of Cincinnati fire units were called to Stetson Street near UC Medical Center for a balcony collapse with serious injuries.

"Caller reporting 20 people fell when a balcony collapsed a minimum of 20 feet," a Cincinnati fire dispatcher said.

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Cincinnati police say students at the apartment were celebrating passing an exam before the night quickly turned traumatic.

"Praying for them and hope they're OK," said Bailee Spencer, who lives at the apartment complex.

Cincinnati Fire took 10 people to the hospital: Five with serious injuries, four minor and one person rushed into surgery with life-threatening injuries.

Saturday, the damage was visible in the daylight. The wooden balcony is in pieces with nails sticking out of the planks. A small grill and a chair among the wreckage.

Cincinnati fire says it's still investigating exactly how many people were actually on the balcony when it collapsed.

"Whether it was 10 or more that it can't support, is super scary and it makes me think about mine now for sure," Spencer said.

"Yeah, that does really shock me. I feel like it should be more supportive than that," said Alexa Centers, a second-year UC student.

The city of Cincinnati's department of buildings and inspections was there Friday night as the investigation began.

"They assess structural integrity, the collapse, things leading up to the collapse, and so we're able to put all this information together so we'll have a better idea of exactly what occurred," said Frank McKinley, fire chief of the Cincinnati Fire Department.