Deck collapses with 50 people on it

From the Daily News:

A gathering in Brooklyn turned into a nightmare as a deck on the second floor of a building collapsed, injuring 13 people early Sunday, witnesses and FDNY officials said.

The collapse happened at a building at Bushwick and Willoughby Aves. in Bushwick around 12:45 a.m., an FDNY official said.

None of the injured was seriously hurt.

As many as 50 people were on the deck when it buckled, the official said.

A Department of Buildings official was on the scene to inspect the deck. It was unclear why it fell in, officials said.

Maybe because it had 50 people on it?

Update on 149th Street bridge project

I found this info which seems to be stating the open contractor bid will start March 24 and due deadline April 23 but states "deck replacement" only. Sounds a bit funny to me. Does that mean the concrete only or the steel which supports the concrete deck?

If it's the concrete only maybe they are willing to take their chance it may not crack a second time. Also, June 12 2014 queens papers stated an engineer has already begun designing a new bridge for a complete rebuilding.

DOB will inspect your deck without penalty

From the NY Post:

The city's Department of Buildings is showing mercy on apartment-building owners in the hopes of encouraging summer inspections.

Officials promise not to issue any fines -- no matter how dilapidated the porches or decks may be -- to encourage people to have them checked for cracking, rotting, failed connections and other indications that a collapse is possible, said DOB Commissioner Robert LiMandri.

The no-penalty program does not cover balconies in high-rises, but residents of those buildings can call 311 to request inspections.

Pool deck collapses into Jamaica Bay

From NBC 4:

What began as a fun Memorial Day celebration ended with a near tragedy in Mill Basin, after a deck collapsed into Jamaica Bay.

[15-year old Claudine] Amsalem said the family had just set up a 15-by-4 foot above-ground pool yesterday on the deck of their new home at 2358 National Drive. The family had been swimming in the pool all morning and afternoon and several people had gotten out of the pool to get ready for dinner. Ten to fifteen minutes later, the deck collapsed.

Thankfully, 4 year old Henny Needelman was wearing floaties on her arms in the pool. When the deck and pool collapsed into Jamaica Bay, family members say Henny floated in the water until her father and cousin could help pull them up to safety.

9 year old Eleanor Amsalem was the most seriously injured.

One neighbor said she was taken into the ambulance with cuts and scrapes, bleeding from the head. A third girl, between 16 and 17 years old was the least injured. All three were sent to Kings County Hospital by ambulance.

Neighbors who wish to remain anonymous told News 4 that the decks which are supported only by piles and beams were never designed to hold a lot of weight. A 15-by-4 foot pool, once filled, can weigh as much as 13-thousand pounds and much more when people actually climb into it.

"I'm just glad that all my sisters and my cousin were pulled out safely," said Claudine. "This could have been much, much worse."

An inspector from the New York City Buildings Department responded to the collapse and cited the landlord with a violation.