Overloading blamed for balcony collapse at New Zealand student concert

A balcony was "critically overloaded" when it collapsed at a concert for university students, injuring 18 people in New Zealand last month, according to an independent report out Monday.

Authorities in the South Island city of Dunedin launched an investigation after the collapse, which left two people seriously hurt during a concert at a property with student apartment on March 4.

The conclusion of the report could be summed up as "the balcony being critically overloaded beyond its ultimate capacity," Dunedin City Council general manager services and development Simon Pickford said in a statement.

The balcony met the building code requirements when it was built and the building had building consent.

"While it's important to know the balcony was built to code, the key issues center on the event itself and where it was held," said Pickford.

"This was a great initiative where students were enjoying themselves. However, this wasn't a suitable location for the concert," he said.

The council was discussing the issues with the University of Otago, the Otago University Students' Association, emergency services and other stakeholders.

"We are all very aware students were seriously hurt as a result of this incident and we want to reduce the chances of anything like this happening again." Endit