Eight people are in hospital after falling up to seven metres when a balcony gave way in Sydney's north shore last night.
Eleven people were dining on the balcony of a duplex on the Pacific Highway at Lane Cove just after 10 o'clock last night when it collapsed.
About 10 people were on the balcony at the time, with some falling a distance of approximately five metres.
"It was family dinner and they had all just finished eating got to their feet to go back inside when it gave way," NSW Police Inspector Jeff Bell told the ABC.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Eight people were taken to hospital with a range of injuries, five thought to be serious but not life-threatening.
A long rescue operation saw around 30 emergency services personnel help pull the injured from the rubble.
Engineers will arrive at the scene this morning to determine what caused the balcony to give way.
Inspector Kim Simpson from Fire and Rescue NSW says it is safe for residents to return to the building.
"We will be on scene to assess the damage here, but the structural integrity of the building is safe and it is safe for occupants to return," Mr Simpson told the ABC. 'We're just waiting for our heavy risk unit to do a full assessment. "
