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5 Injured In Deck Collapse In Columbia

COLUMBIA, Md. (WJZ) -- Nearly half a dozen people were injured when a deck came crashing off the side of a Columbia townhouse. Now building inspectors are looking into what caused it.

Meghan McCorkell has more.

The collapse has neighbors worried and looking at the supports on their own decks.

It was just after 11 p.m. Tuesday. Six people were hanging out on a second story deck in Columbia when they heard the sound of wood cracking---then they fell to the ground.

"One of the gentlemen said...he was sitting there and before he knew it, he was floating and then he bounced off the deck when it was on the ground," said Howard County Fire Captain Stephen Hardesty.

Neighbors awoke to a scary scene.

"My roommate woke me up. We came out here and looked at all the fire trucks and ambulances out here. It looks like a disaster zone," said neighbor Jordan Curet.

Building inspectors believe water damage caused the deck to separate from the house and come down.

First responders say they're just relieved no one was underneath the deck when it came crashing down.

"Had someone been underneath the deck, it would have been a totally different story," Hardesty said.

Five people were taken to the hospital; a sixth refused medical treatment. All are expected to be okay.

The tenants in the house say they are planning to take legal action.

County inspectors say the deck was up to code but codes have been changed for newer decks.

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