Report: Collapsed decks were ‘structurally unsound’

HARTFORD, Conn. – A new report indicates a pair of crowded decks that collapsed during a party at an off-campus house owned by Trinity College in Connecticut earlier this month were structurally unsound due to “flaws in construction.”

Cirrus Structural Engineering released the report Thursday.

The Hartford Courant reports (http://cour.at/2dD4Q2P) 32 college students were injured on Sept. 10 when the two-family home’s third-floor deck collapsed. It fell onto a second-floor deck, which also collapsed.

School officials say Trinity did not inspect the house when it was purchased from a private owner in 2011. They say it’s not clear why.

A spokesman for Democratic Hartford Mayor Luke Bronin says it’s the responsibility of the property owner to handle inspections for a two-family dwelling.

A Trinity spokesman says the school is now “inspecting all off-campus properties.”

News from © The Associated Press, . All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Join the Conversation!

Want to share your thoughts, add context, or connect with others in your community?

The Associated Press

The Associated Press is an independent global news organization dedicated to factual reporting. Founded in 1846, AP today remains the most trusted source of fast, accurate, unbiased news in all formats and the essential provider of the technology and services vital to the news business. More than half the world’s population sees AP journalism every day.