After collapsed deck in Savannah injures 14, city rules out one possible reason

The city of Savannah has ruled out one reason for a deck collapse in a Savannah bar on St. Patrick's Day that injured 14 people, according to a city news release on Monday.

The second floor deck at Rogue Water Tap House on Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard fell around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, seriously injuring two people and sending another 12 to local hospitals, according to officials.

Overcrowding was not believed to have been a problem, according to the city news release. The building's occupancy is 165 people and was last checked on in a Savannah Fire Rescue fire marshal inspection on Feb. 28. In the inspection, the fire marshal addresses fire safety and occupancy.

"Upon issuance of the (Certificate of Occupancy), the city does not have any ongoing responsibility to inspect the building," according to the city news release. "The responsibility to inspect and maintain the building falls on the property owner."

The deck and courtyard of the bar will be closed following the incident until they once again meet safety requirements.

"We are deeply saddened by the terrible incident that occurred today during a time of celebration in our city. Our thoughts are with those injured and impacted," Rogue Water posted on Facebook late Saturday night. "The safety of our customers and staff are of the utmost importance and we have been working closely and cooperating fully with the City of Savannah Fire Marshal and building inspector."

This story was originally published March 19, 2018 at 4:02 PM with the headline "After collapsed deck in Savannah injures 14, city rules out one possible reason."