Eight people were hospitalized Sunday night after their Riverdale deck collapsed, sending a grill and deep fryer crashing on top of them.

The family was grilling on their deck at a home at 5749 block of Rock Shoals Way when the deck collapsed, Clayton County Fire Battalion Chief Landry Merkison said.

“It pulled away from the house and fell,” he said. “When the deck fell, the grill and grease from a deep fat fryer fell on top of them.”

The party, including an 11-month-old baby, fell 8-10 feet.

Paramedics rushed six people to Grady Memorial Hospital and two to Southern Regional Medical Center.

Seven of the people, including the baby, were burned, Merkison said. The injuries ranged from back pain to second-degree burns.

Merkison declined to identify the injured, but said several of them remain at Grady.

Fire officials said they are not investigating and the collapse appears to be an accident.

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The Thanksgiving air travel period is on as passengers made their way through the airport Friday, Nov. 22, 2024. Traveling through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport during the holidays can be an ordeal. Parking shortages could disrupt your plans and security waits can be long during busy periods, causing bottlenecks. Hartsfield-Jackson is advising travelers to get to the airport at least 2½ hours before their domestic flight and at least 3 hours before their international flight. (John Spink/AJC)

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