Jan. 12, 2014: Firefighters look up at the fire escape landing that collapsed around midnight Saturday in the Rittenhouse Square section of Philadelphia. (AP)
One person died and two were injured when a balcony collapsed during a birthday party at a Philadelphia apartment, police said.
A 22-year-old man who suffered severe head and neck injuries in the fall was pronounced dead at a hospital early Sunday morning.
There were conflicting reports that it was a fire escape. Police are now calling it a balcony.
Police say the man and two women had been attending a party in the tony Rittenhouse Square neighborhood. Authorities say the three had stepped out on a balcony late Saturday to smoke cigarettes when the collapse occurred.
The two women are in their 20s and suffered broken bones in their backs. They are listed in stable condition at two city hospitals.
Officials from the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections are investigating.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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