Community Corner
6 Injured, Including 2 Kids, After Back Porch Collapses
Two children were among the injured after a wooden back porch gave out in the Austin neighborhood Tuesday afternoon.
WEST SIDE, IL — Six people, including two children, were injured after a back porch collapsed Tuesday afternoon in the Austin neighborhood.
The traditional wooden back porch is a uniquely Chicago feature, built on to many preexisting homes after new fire regulations required front and back emergency exits. However, their capacity limits mean collapses happen semi-frequently in the city. The most deadly collapse of a wooden porch occurred in Lincoln Park in 2003, killing 13 people and injuring over 50 more.
Tuesday's collapse happened at the stairs of a building in the first block of South Lavergne Avenue at around 2:50 p.m., Chicago Fire Department officials said.
Find out what's happening in West Sidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Two women, ages 24 and 33, a 7-year-old girl and an 11-year-old boy were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital where their conditions are listed as stable, according to officials.
A 27-year-old woman and a 31-year-old woman were also injured and taken to Stroger Hospital, where their conditions are also stable.
Find out what's happening in West Sidefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
18 south Laverne. Plan 1 for porch collapse. Stairs failed while people were in them 6 transports including two young people. Five yellow 1 red. Building dept on scene. pic.twitter.com/hZdnvqNSny
— Chicago Fire Media (@CFDMedia) June 15, 2021
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