Indiana County

12 injured after floor collapses at off-campus apartment near Indiana University of Pennsylvania

INDIANA COUNTY, Pa. — Twelve people were hurt when a floor collapsed at an off-campus apartment building near Indiana University of Pennsylvania on Saturday night.

State police confirmed to Channel 11 that the second floor at Elm by Traverse Commons apartment collapsed just before midnight.

It’s not clear how many people were in the apartment at the time of the collapse.

State police said they responded to a call for a disturbance with a person in the road along Medlar Drive. The first trooper to arrive encountered a large group of people outside.

Troopers helped some of the remaining occupants to evacuate through a broken first-floor window.

Seven of the 12 people injured in the collapse were hospitalized for their injuries. Their conditions range from minor to serious.

The cause of the collapse has not yet been released.

State police said its unclear how many of those involved were university students or guests visiting during what has been dubbed “IUPatty’s weekend,” a delayed St. Patrick’s Day celebration.

The university said officials are offering help including short-term housing to those affected who are not students.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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