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A floor collapsed at a wedding venue in eastern New Hampshire, sending nearly 70 people into the basement and injuring several others, authorities said.
The incident occurred on Saturday, March 21, as approximately 150 people attended a wedding at the Chocorua Reserve in Tamworth, according to a joint news release from the Tamworth Fire and Rescue Department and the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office. The local fire brigade was called to the scene at around 4:33 p.m. local time after receiving reports that the floor had collapsed during the wedding ceremony.
“Callers reported that more than 100 people were on the floor when the building collapsed underground, with several trapped under beams and agricultural equipment,” authorities said in a news release.
Officials said six adults were taken to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, but four have since been released. Several other guests were treated at the scene.
“The full extent of injuries from the incident is still under investigation,” authorities said in a news release.
The Tamworth Fire and Rescue Department and the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office are conducting a joint investigation into the incident. Authorities are asking anyone with information that could help the investigation to contact the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office.
A spokesperson for the New Hampshire State Fire Marshal’s Office told USA TODAY on Sunday, March 22, that the agency did not have any additional updates to provide regarding the investigation.
Investigators believe the building was beyond capacity before the floor collapsed.
Several mutual aid agencies in nearby areas also responded to the scene and provided coverage for broadcasters, authorities said.
When first responders arrived on the scene, authorities discovered that venue staff and wedding guests were already administering initial first aid to some guests and using ladders to help people who had fallen through the collapsed floor. Fire crews provided additional assistance to guests and began investigating the scene for those reporting injuries.
Officials said a preliminary investigation revealed that 144 guests were in the Sapp House building for a wedding when the floor collapsed. Approximately half of the guests, nearly 70 people, fell through a 20-by-20-foot opening into the building’s basement.
Officials noted that although the investigation is in its early stages, investigators believe the building was beyond capacity before the floor collapsed.
Founded in 1778, the Chocorua Preserve describes itself on its Facebook page as a “26-acre stunning natural retreat that includes a historic farmhouse, barn, carriage house, and cottage.” According to the venue’s website, the Sap House building is a “New England maple sugar shack” that can host intimate ceremonies and indoor and outdoor cocktail hours.
According to the New Hampshire Department of Employment Security, Tamworth is a town with a population of more than 2,900. The town is located between the Lakes region of Carroll County and the White Mountain National Forest.
