11 Injured, 2 Critical in Tennessee Restaurant Deck Collapse

Eleven people were injured, two critically, when an elevated deck of a Tennessee waterfront restaurant collapsed during a birthday party group photo, authorities said.

The joyous festivities turned to a moment of terror on Saturday afternoon in suburban Chattanooga when an outdoor wooden deck at Zois Harbor Lights Restaurant suddenly gave way under the weight of more than 40 people posing for a birthday group photo, according to the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency.

The episode unfolded around 4 p.m. at the restaurant in Soddy-Daisy overlooking Chickamauga Lake, officials said.

Photos posted online by the Office of Emergency Management showed the large wooden deck caved in and splintered, lying in shambles amid broken railing, toppled support beams and twisted aluminum siding.