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70 Trapped in Wedding Floor Collapse in New Hampshire

Published 22 March 2026

At least 70 people were trapped after a floor collapsed during a wedding ceremony at a venue in Tamworth, New Hampshire, sending guests plummeting into the basement below. The incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at The Preserve at Chocorua, where approximately 140 attendees had gathered for the event.

The collapse took place inside a building known as the Sap House, moments after the ceremony began. Officials from the New Hampshire State Fire Marshals Office reported that the floor buckled, creating a roughly 20-foot-by-20-foot hole. Those who fell dropped about eight feet into the basement, with several becoming pinned by fallen beams and farm equipment stored on the lower level. A first responder on scene described half the floor as having given way, complicating efforts to extract those affected.

Before emergency crews arrived, wedding guests and venue staff took immediate action to assist the victims. They used ladders to help people climb out of the basement and provided basic first aid to those with minor injuries, according to a statement from the Fire Marshals Office. Firefighters and paramedics from multiple departments, including Tamworth Fire-Rescue, then...

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