A Christmas party took a fatal turn after a group photo had devastating consequences.
A Melbourne party saw around 30 people gather onto the balcony of a Doncaster East home to take a group photo.
The balcony’s wooden floor gave in to the group’s weight in a crash described as “biblical” by a neighbour.
Partygoers became trapped underneath and a 59-year-old Croydon woman died at the scene and a Reservoir woman, 37, died in hospital the next morning.
“The crash was biblical. The sound of it was nothing like I had heard before,” Mr Stone told reporters at the scene.
“People were bringing out chairs and pillows and blankets and things like that just to help out the people who were injured.”
The party was believed to have been for Tupperware sales consultants and was reportedly at the same property as the year prior where they took a similar photo.
Last year’s Christmas party photo.
Ten women and seven men, aged between 20 and 69, were taken to hospital and treated for soft tissue injuries, fractures and lacerations.
About a dozen others were treated by paramedics at the scene.
Guest Jade Moana took to Facebook to tell her friends she was “tired, sore and shaken” while waiting at hospital for a decision regarding her leg.
She and her husband, who was also at the party, “are both grateful to be here”.
The balcony collapse saw police, firefighters and paramedics swarming the “chaotic scene” to rescue the partygoers.
“This is a very tragic incident for those involved and our thoughts are with them and their loved ones at this time,” Ambulance Victoria state health commander Paul Holman said.
