Fourteen people were badly injured in the inauguration of the city of Medellin‘s ecological site Parque Arvi, located in the city’s eastern mountains in the Santa Elena district, after a building unit collapsed.
The accident occurred when 45 people were in one of the four units of the wooden structure, which is shaped like a centipede and is one of the park’s attractions, taking part in the inaugural ceremony, Colombian media reported Friday.
Assistant Housing Director of Comfama, the family compensation fund responsible for the creation of the park, Ivan Assuad, said that the module in which the people were situated did not adequately support their weight, and the floor collapsed, though not from a great height.
The 14 injured were attended by 12 medics and three ambulances that were available at the site in case of emergency, and then taken by helicopter to hospitals in Medellin and nearby Rionegro.
Among those invited to the inauguration were political officials, university professors, journalists, and employees of Comfama.
Assuad said that Comfama has ordered an investigation into the matter to establish the complete reasons why the building collapsed under the weight of the attendees, and to determine responsibility in the matter.