Deck collapses at North Carolina beach house during family photo shoot, injuring 24

At least 24 members of a family were injured in North Carolina Saturday when the deck they were standing on collapsed.

The group — with members ranging in age from 5 to 94 — gathered on the 24-by-12-foot deck of their beach house rental to take a family photo, authorities said. Five people are still hospitalized, two in critical condition. In a statement, Emerald Isle town manager Frank A. Rush Jr. said preliminary findings suggest the collapse was due to deteriorated nails on the 29-year-old house. "Although Emerald Isle is a busy and popular tourism destination, it prides itself on its 'family beach image' and 'small-town atmosphere,' and an incident of this nature affects our entire community deeply," he said.

The deck fell at least 10 feet, Emerald Isle Fire Chief Bill Walker told the Los Angeles Times. "It was basically a one-story house that was built on pilings," he said. Rush said no complaints have been filed over the condition of the home, and state law says it is the responsibility of a rental property owner or manager to routinely inspect their properties.

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