Off-campus party leads to floor collapse, dozens injured

Tallahassee - A second floor penthouse at the Seminole Grand Apartments collapsed during a party early Sunday morning, injuring 55 people.

The collapse, which occurred around 1:20 am Sunday, sent dozens of party goers plummeting to the clubhouse floor below. A Florida A&M University student who was attending the party told USA Today that the floor collapse was "like riding a roller coaster with no seat belts. I was hanging on to a couch trying not to fall through the floor." The Tallahassee Fire Department issued a statement that said none of the injured sustained life threatening injuries. Seven people had to be rescued from the second floor by a fire department ladder truck because the stairwell was damaged in the collapse. No one was trapped under any of the falling debris and those who were injured were transported to area hospitals for treatment. Officials are still investigating the cause of the collapse, but some are pointing to an estimated crowd of at least 100 people as being a possible cause. Florida State University (FSU) sophomore Kayla Muse lives across the street from the collapsed building. She stated the gathering was to celebrate FSU's football team's win over Miami earlier in the day. Muse told Tallahassee.com: “I woke up from the sirens [...], went to my balcony and saw the [police] lights and all the ambulances. I walked outside asking questions. It was very emotional and a lot of chaos. The entry front gate was blocked off by police everywhere. I could even see in the second level where firefighters were helping people out of the window. Luckily none of my roommates were at the party.” Twenty-one year-old Katherine Casey, who lives in the complex, told USA Today that the apartments, which are located just a few miles from the FSU and Florida A&M campus', are a well known party destination. She went on to say: "The only thing I could describe this as is total chaos. At first, I thought it was just drunk screams, but then I heard the screams for help. Then I heard screams of fear. There was total fear on peoples' faces."