More than 1,000 parishioners packed the gymnasium at Columbia Bible College in Abbotsford yesterday while investigators worked to determine what caused the floor of their church to collapse during a concert.
A 41-year-old woman remains in intensive care at Vancouver General and a teenager is in stable condition at B.C. Children’s Hospital after a section of the floor at Central Heights Church collapsed Friday night during a Christian rock concert.
Around 40 people were injured.
City engineers said a floor joist might have given way, causing the floor to collapse, CBC News Online reports.
Central Heights Pastor Chris Douglas said a pew broke the fall of a light standard that would have crashed into the hole.
“All I can believe is there’s got to be angels holding that pew up,” he said.
Jaeda Epp, 21, a youth leader at the church, said she had friends at the concert standing just a few feet away from the hole.
Epp said yesterday’s service was more uplifting and emotional than usual.
Jeremy Epp, 23, said the tragedy has brought the congregation closer together.
“When something like this happens to a couple of people it happens to everyone,” he said.
