Hundreds Hurt After Boardwalk Collapses in Spanish City During Concert

Five people are seriously hurt, but did not have life-threatening injuries, officials said

An oceanside boardwalk collapsed during a nighttime concert in the Spanish city of Vigo, injuring hundreds of people, five of them seriously, authorities said Monday.

Many young people were on the port's wooden boardwalk when it gave way around midnight Sunday at the closing event of a three-day festival, officials in the northwestern port city said.

The wooden boards cracked along a central section, about 40 meters (130 feet) long, and people slid down into the sea below, emergency services said. Eyewitnesses reported scenes of panic.

The Galician region's health authority said in a news release that 316 people were treated for injuries and that nine were taken to hospitals.

Five people who were seriously hurt did not have life-threatening injuries, officials said earlier.

The president of the Vigo port authority, Enrique Cesar Lopez Veiga, said he suspects there was a structural problem in the boardwalk, which is supported by concrete pillars.

He told Cadena Ser radio that the boardwalk collapsed "probably because of excessive weight" on it.

Vigo mayor Abel Caballero announced an investigation.

The popular annual festival features music and urban sports such as skateboarding.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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