IEyeNews

iLocal News Archives

UK: Four partygoers are injured when balcony collapses and they plunge two floors at property advertised on Airbnb

35F8067900000578-3675000-image-a-13_1467718237419By Lucy Crossley From MailOnline

Two men and two women had been at a party at the house in Brighton
Three of then fell two floors into the property’s basement on Friday
Airbnb has pulled the listing and is investigating the injury
Warning issued over decorative balconies at historic homes

Four partygoers were hurt when a balcony collapsed and they fell two floors at a property advertised on rental site Airbnb.

The two men and two women had been among a group of friends partying at the mid-19th century home in Brighton, East Sussex, when the ageing balcony gave way.

Three of the four revellers fell two floors into the property’s basement and all four were taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Holiday home rental website Airbnb confirmed the listing had been pulled from the site while it investigates.

It is not yet clear if the people injured were visiting the historic property on holiday or were residents there, and it is not known if they had rented the property through Airbnb.

BALCONY COLLAPSE BRIGHTON - Montpelier Road, Brighton, four people injured
BALCONY COLLAPSE BRIGHTON – Montpelier Road, Brighton, four people injured

A 25-year-old man from Brighton, a 32-year-old woman from London and a 30-year-old woman also from London suffered leg injuries while a 30-year-old man from London suffered an arm injury when the balcony, which is accessible via a sash window at floor level, collapsed.

They have since been discharged from hospital.

Neighbours said the group were enjoying a party when the incident ‘which sounded like a car crash’ happened on Friday evening.

Authorities have warned of the dangers of standing on balconies meant for ‘decorative’ purposes in the wake of the incident.

One neighbour, who asked not to be named, said: ‘It seemed they were having a small party.

‘Everybody was very happy, very gregarious, having a great time.

‘You can see on the top there was a crack where the balcony has broken up.

32DE544300000578-3675000-image-m-60_1467715303665‘Everybody in Brighton is aware of the balconies here.’

Another neighbour said: ‘My partner heard what he thought was a car crash, and looked out of the window.

‘The bottom of the balcony had fallen through and there were people screaming and shouting.

‘It seemed like they had a few people over. It was a chilled out party. They were not going crazy.

‘There was light music and they were just having a nice time together. It was really horrible.’

A Brighton and Hove City Council spokesman said the property is similar to many historic houses across the city and advised homeowner to review the state of their balconies.

A spokesman from Airbnb confirmed they are investigating.

He said: ‘We have removed this listing from Airbnb while we investigate and are in contact with the host and guests. We will provide the necessary support.

‘There have been more than 80 million guest arrivals on Airbnb and problems for hosts and guests are extremely rare.’

IMAGES:

Four partygoers were hurt when a balcony collapsed and they fell two floors at this property in Brighton, which had been advertised on rental site Airbnb

Three of the four revellers fell two floors into the property’s basement and all four were taken to hospital with serious injuries

A spokesman from Airbnb confirmed the listing has been removed and the firm is investigating

For more on this story go to: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3675000/Four-partygoers-injured-balcony-collapses-plunge-two-floors-property-advertised-Airbnb.html#ixzz4EKNH1Cl9

See also related iNews Cayman story published today: “Tourism Matters: The responsibilities of perceived status”

LEAVE A RESPONSE

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *