Inspectors Find Cause for Deck Collapse

Building inspectors and fire marshals returned to the scene of a deck collapse at a Chattanooga nightclub on Brainerd Road. Just before midnight Saturday night, the rear deck collapsed, sending dozens of people plunging to the ground.

A spokesperson for the fire department says it appears about 100 people were on the deck waiting for the doors of the club Deep Blue to open.

Fire Marshal Craig Haney says it appears the construction of the deck was faulty. He says the bolts that hold the deck to the wall were spaced too far apart. Haney says the construction simply wasn't adequate to hold the weight of so many people.

Medics transported 23 club-goers to the hospital with ankle, leg and back injuries. A CARTA bus was called in to transport many of the walking wounded.

The owner of the building, Randy Braswell was at the club today however he declined to talk to reporters.

Floyd Kilpatrick, who identified himself as Braswell's legal advisor, says that they had a carpenter examine the deck just a few weeks ago, after they began using that entrance more frequently.

Haney says he would have expected a carpenter to notice the signs of the problem.

Kilpatrick says he hopes to have the club up and running again as soon as possible, but Haney says that probably won't be any time soon.

The damage to the back of the building was so significant that the top level of the club will not be able to be open, or else it would be a violation of fire codes. The collapse also caused damage to the heating and air units and until an electrician makes the necessary repairs, Haney says the club cannot reopen.

Haney says Deep Blue can continue to operate the first level on a limited capacity.

City code inspectors are continuing their investigation, however, a spokesperson for the city of Chattanooga says Braswell never got the proper permits to build an addition to the back of the building. Richard Beeland says Braswell has not had an inspection done on the outside of the building for at least 10-15 years, but it appears he recently built a new staircase leading to the now-collapsed deck.

Braswell has not been cited, but Beeland says the investigation is ongoing.