(AFP) A woman died and at least 53 people were injured in the Philippines on Wednesday when a balcony collapsed in a church full of worshipers celebrating Ash Wednesday mass, local officials said.
An 80-year-old woman died from chest injuries at a local hospital, Gina Ayson, head of civil defense for the city of San José del Monte, located near the capital Manila, told AFP.
About 400 people attended mass in the church of San Pedro el Apóstol, where part of the wooden floor collapsed because "it was probably overloaded," said Rubén Fortún, head of municipal disaster management.
Ayson noted that the temple's wooden balcony had been weakened by termites.
Millions of people in this country with strong Catholic convictions attend churches for Ash Wednesday services, which marks the beginning of Lent in the Christian calendar.
