Authorities were trying to determine whether excessive weight was to blame for the collapse of a stage during a performance at Servite High School in Anaheim on Saturday night, injuring about two dozen students, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Authorities responded to a call Saturday night after the wooden stage gave way at Servite High School, an all-boys Catholic school in Anaheim, while about 250 students from the all-girls school nearby, Rosary High School, were singing and dancing when the platform fell, the Times reported. Injuries included broken bones, bruises and scrapes.
The likely cause appeared to be too many students on stage and too much weight on the platform, according to the Times.
Inspectors will double-check the school's stage permit to determine if it's up to date, the Times reported. They will also review whether the permit included a weight restriction or a limit on the number of people who could be on stage.
The investigation is expected to take two weeks, according to the Times.
The stage was extended out in the 1980s to provide more square footage, the Times reported. It was the add-on that collapsed.
More than 600 students, parents, faculty and alumni were in the auditorium at the time of the accident, according to the Times.
"Thank you for your prayers and support during this time," Rosary Principal Judy Luttrell said in a statement posted on the school's website after the collapse, the Times reported. "We ask that you continue to pray for our students. We thank you all, the Servite community, and the responders for their calm assistance."
In a statement, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange said it was "an unfortunate accident," according to the Times. The diocese said an internal investigation was underway.
