Bach balcony collapse: 9 hurt

Nine people were taken to hospital after a balcony collapsed. Photo / APN

Nine people were injured when a balcony collapsed at a holiday home in Omaha, north of Auckland, late last night.

The victims were taken to Auckland City and North Shore hospitals with injuries believed to range from cuts and bruises to possible broken bones.

Two were flown to Auckland in the Westpac rescue helicopter; the others were taken by ambulance.

Emergency services said the balcony collapsed at the house in Kitty Frazer Lane about 10.20pm, during an Auckland Anniversary Weekend party involving 20 to 30 people. The victims are understood to be aged under 30.

"It was a rented home and they were just there for the weekend," said Wellsford deputy chief fire officer Shaun Pilgrim.

"I think they were having a party and there were just too many people on the deck and it couldn't support them."

He said the balcony had fallen only a short distance - less than a floor - but it was "quite significant" because a ranch-slider glass door had smashed.

"One person put their arm through the glass, which was pretty bad. As they fell to the ground, people rolled into the glass door."

The injuries ranged from cuts and bruises to a possible broken ankle, Mr Pilgrim said.

The scene was chaotic when emergency services arrived, he said. "It took quite a lot of scene management. It was pretty chaotic and very confused. When emergency services arrived we took a lot of time sorting the injured from the walking wounded."

Fire officers from the Warkworth and Matakana stations helped to set up a triage centre and assisted St John Ambulance staff with first aid, Mr Pilgrim said.

One neighbour said he heard a loud crash, before people started running into the street. "I went outside and had a look and there were a lot of people running everywhere so I thought they didn't need me ... The people who weren't injured were helping those who were hurt."

He said the house had been rented for Anniversary Weekend. "I think they were having some sort of get-together. But it wasn't a rowdy party. I couldn't hear any noise coming from there. All I heard was a big crash."

Omaha, 74km north of Auckland, is a popular holiday destination for city-dwellers and several high-profile business, sporting and political names own properties there. Prime Minister John Key, fashion designer Trelise Cooper and sporting couple Dean and Mandy Barker have all bought properties in the area.

Beachfront homes sell for up to $3 million or more.

In 2008, more than 40 people were injured as a result of residential balcony collapses in Australia and New Zealand, according to four Brisbane surgeons writing in the Medical Journal of Australia.

In October 2005, about 240 teenage party-goers escaped serious injury when a balcony collapsed at a house in Parnell.

About 200 were on the balcony and 40 were underneath when it collapsed without warning as the party wound up just before 1am.

The injuries were restricted to a cut hand and a bruise or two.

"It fell roughly around four metres," Mr Pilgrim said at the time. "They were extremely lucky. It was a big old 110-year-old villa."

He said it was probably the way the balcony collapsed that saved people.

"It let go at one end and swung down."

Mr Pilgrim said the balcony had heavy beams underneath and they dropped on the party-goers.

"In terms of luck I would have to put it at about an eight [out of 10]."

It was Mr Pilgrim's second balcony collapse of the year.

The previous April, he was at a family wedding in the Marlborough Sounds when a balcony collapsed at a resort.

In February 2008, a North Shore family were injured when their balcony collapsed as they were eating lunch, sending them crashing three metres on to a concrete floor.