ains aws ▁to ▁free ▁others . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁surv iv ors ▁was ▁a ▁nur se , ▁and ▁had ▁started ▁a ▁rescue ▁effort ▁before ▁the ▁emer gency ▁services ▁arrived . ▁The ▁Chicago ▁Fire ▁Department ▁supplied ▁the ▁main ▁rescue ▁effort . ▁Ele ven ▁people ▁were ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁collapse , ▁with ▁two ▁more ▁subsequently ▁dying ▁while ▁hospital ized ; ▁fifty - se ven ▁people ▁were ▁injured . ▁ ▁The ▁por ch ▁and ▁bal con ies ▁also ▁had ▁k eg s ▁of ▁be er ▁and ▁old ▁re fr iger ators , ▁an ▁old ▁clothes ▁was her ▁and ▁dry er . ▁As ▁the ▁party - go ers ▁rock ed ▁the ▁st airs ▁and ▁land ings ▁up ▁and ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁music , ▁it ▁all ▁fell ▁all ▁three ▁flo ors ▁into ▁the ▁bas ement ▁concrete ▁st air well s . ▁Adv oc ate ▁Hospital ▁ER ▁went ▁on ▁" b yp ass " ▁and ▁more ▁than ▁ 7 5 ▁people ▁made ▁their ▁way ▁walking ▁and ▁lim ping ▁south ▁on ▁Hal sted ▁to ▁Children ' s ▁Memorial ▁Hospital , ▁which ▁also ▁went ▁on ▁" b yp ass ". ▁ ▁Investig ation ▁Initial ▁in qui ries ▁suggested ▁that ▁the ▁collapse ▁was ▁probably ▁due ▁to ▁over c row ding . ▁This ▁was ▁back ed ▁up ▁by ▁neighb ors , ▁who ▁told ▁authorities ▁that ▁the ▁bal con ies ▁were ▁designed ▁to ▁hold ▁only ▁between ▁twenty ▁and ▁thirty ▁people . ▁Chicago ' s ▁fire ▁chief ▁said ▁that ▁" It ▁appears ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁case ▁of ▁too ▁many ▁people ▁in ▁a ▁small ▁space ."