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1 Killed, 80 Hurt at Winery

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Associated Press

A concrete terrace loaded with tourists collapsed at an island winery in Lake Erie on Saturday, killing one person and injuring about 80, authorities said.

A cement floor above an empty basement at the Lonz Winery fell 20 to 30 feet, police in nearby Port Clinton said.

The floor apparently collapsed under the weight of the people on it, said John Blatt, mayor of Put-In-Bay, the nearby island resort village.

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Emergency personnel were called in from as far away as Toledo, Cleveland and Bowling Green.

One person died at the scene and another on the way to a hospital, Put-In-Bay Police Chief Jim Lang said. He said about 100 people were on the 25-by-20-foot terrace where the 4-inch-thick floor collapsed. He said it fell 16 to 18 feet.

The 121-acre winery, a popular tourist attraction, sits on a Lake Erie island about six miles from the mainland.

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