Partygoers in hospital as villa's balcony collapses

"My head felt like it was going to explode. Blood was running down my head ... it was just madness."

That was the reaction yesterday from Auckland woman Junita Kaur who said she felt fortunate to be alive after a 4m balcony collapsed on top of her during a house party at a 129-year-old Parnell villa early yesterday morning.

"I'm unbelievably lucky - it was shocking - my most scariest experience yet," she said.

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

Fourteen people were admitted to hospital, including a woman with a broken leg and a man with chest injuries.

Miss Kaur was sitting on a couch with two others underneath the balcony when it collapsed on her head, trapping her for several frantic seconds.

"I was trying to scramble over the couch when another bit fell, pinning my legs," she said.

Firefighter Shaun Pilgrim said yesterday the party-goers were extremely lucky to be alive.

It was probably the way the balcony had collapsed that saved people, he said.

"It let go at one end and swung down," Mr Pilgrim said.

Miss Kaur said a rumbling noise, then a loud crack were the only warnings of the balcony's demise.

"It sounded like someone had fallen through a window."

At Auckland Hospital Miss Kaur received seven stitches to a deep cut on the top of her head.

The 20-bedroom St George Bay Rd villa, which is surrounded by an acre of land, is rented by 21 young people aged between 20 and 35.

Tenant Mikhal Norriss, said yesterday when she realised what had happened, the Cave Creek disaster ran through her mind.

"I think that is why people were shaken, it is such a similar thing. It just happened really, really quickly - everyone on the balcony just ran."

The house is monitored by the Fire Service, and the first Miss Norriss says she knew of the disaster was when someone set off the fire alarm.

She says about 1000 people were at the house party, which was a farewell for her and other flatmates. Band The Bleeders were about to start playing when the balcony collapsed.

Wellington doctor Michael Baker, who has owned the villa since 1981, said yesterday he believed overloading, not a structural weakness was to blame for the balcony's collapse.

Dr Baker, who lived at the property as a student, said he was not against tenants holding parties, but a crowd of 1000 was excessive. He said he would be taking the matter up with his tenants.

Dr Baker said he had spent thousands of dollars over the years upgrading the house and further restoration work was due to be carried out.

The property, built in 1876, has an interesting historic past: it was a former girls' boarding school and once home to aviation pioneer Jean Batten and Kiwi actor Bruno Lawrence.


- HERALD ON SUNDAY