NBC News
Emergency responders received a call at approximately 10:09 p.m. reporting the structural failure, said Lindsay Lomax, a spokesperson for the city of Cincinnati.
One person sustained critical injuries while nine others suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Cincinnati Fire Chief Frank McKinley confirmed during a news briefing following the incident. All victims were transported to area hospitals, with seven receiving treatment at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.
The university was notified of the incident but did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Chief McKinley said it remains unclear exactly how many people were on the balcony at the time of the collapse. However, preliminary assessments suggest weight may have been a contributing factor, Lomax told NBC News.
Cincinnati's Department of Buildings and Inspections responded to the scene to assess the structural failure and determine the cause of the collapse.
"We were able to gather some information from bystanders and some of the non-life-threatening individuals were able to provide some information, but it's still early in this process," McKinley said.
The investigation is ongoing.
Off-campus housing safety has been an increasing concern at colleges and universities nationwide, particularly as student enrollment growth has outpaced on-campus housing availability, pushing more students into private rental properties near campus.
