Cape Town heritage building balcony collapses, injuring 20

3 Nov 2023

Cape Town's bustling First Thursdays community culture was rocked on Thursday evening when the balcony of The Athletic Club & Social collapsed, resulting in injuries to 20 people. The incident occurred around 5.30pm at the heritage building located on Castle Street. The injured were swiftly transported to various nearby hospitals, including Groote Schuur, Christiaan Barnard, and New Somerset.

Source: Google Maps

Athos Euripidou, the owner of the venue, expressed his deep sadness and shock over the incident.

"We are all shocked and deeply saddened by the incident and wish to extend our heartfelt apology to those who were affected. We are praying that all those injured make a swift and full recovery," he said in a statement on the venue’s Instagram page.

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Heritage building

The Athletic Club & Social, a popular spot in the city, is housed in a three-story building dating back to the 1900s. The club is known for its world-class offerings to customers, making this incident an enormous shock to all¹.In the aftermath of the incident, the club has been temporarily closed.

Euripidou stated that they are fully committed to working with the City of Cape Town and other relevant authorities to determine the cause of the balcony collapse.

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The city's building inspectors have already visited the site as part of their investigation.The incident has raised concerns about the safety of heritage buildings in the city.

As investigations continue, the club will remain closed until it can be ensured that the structure of the balcony is not compromised.