The balcony of a church full of believers collapsed in the middle of the mass: victims numbered in the dozens

As Christians prepare to enter the period of Lent, on Wednesday, February 14, many believers were attending mass at a church in San Jose del Monte, in the Philippines when a balcony collapsed. Reports stated that many people were injured during this tragedy Huffington Post.

Victims number in the dozens

The authorities have evaluated this incident and it is serious. An 80-year-old woman suffered a chest injury and died shortly before arriving at the hospital. At least 53 other people were injured, most of them elderly people as well. Dozens of victims reportedly suffered bruises and some minor injuries during the tragedy.

During the ceremony held at the church, nearly 400 faithful were present when the collapse occurred, which pushed parishioners to the ground floor, according to the city's disaster office.

“City building officials discovered that part of the collapsed structure was infested with termites. From the outside it looked fine. We didn't know it had been eaten away from the inside out.” Chief of Civil Protection Gina Ison said.

City Mayor Arthur Robes closed the church while investigators conducted investigations and examined the structure. He also posted pictures of the damaged building on his Facebook page.