Authorities are investigating after a section of bleachers at a Texas rodeo arena collapsed over the weekend, injuring 12 people near San Antonio.
Emergency crews arrived at the rodeo arena in Boerne, about 30 miles north of San Antonio, shortly after 9 p.m. Saturday, said Walter Ball, Boerne’s assistant fire chief.
Ball said four people were treated at the scene of the Saturday night collapse at the Kendall County Fairgrounds, while eight others were taken to the hospital. Six of them have since been released.
An initial inspection by the Boerne Fire Chief and the city’s Office of Code Compliance on Sunday morning indicated that a more thorough investigation by a structural engineer is needed to determine the cause of the collapse before the arena can reopen.
According to a social media post from the Kendall County Fair Association, Sunday night’s rodeo performance has been canceled, but visitors could still enjoy food, shopping and live entertainment on the fair’s final day.
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Lathan is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-reported issues.