A Southland student has spoken of being crushed "like a pancake" when a balcony fell on him during a concert in Dunedin's student quarter.
"There was just a loud noise of cracking and we looked up and the deck was just falling from about three metres high and it came straight down on my shoulders and I folded flat," George Karamaena told Checkpoint with John Campbell today.
"I just went squash like a pancake."
George was one of 18 people injured when a packed balcony collapsed at a block of flats on Castle St last Friday, where the concert featuring Six60 was being held.
He told RNZ his fibula and femur were snapped, and a lower vertabrae in his back was broken.
The fine arts student had an operation on his legs at the weekend, and another on his back yesterday. He is expected to walk again, but will have to use a wheelchair in the meantime.
Speaking to RNZ, George said he remained conscious after being hit by the falling balcony and remembered being shocked by all the injured people around him.
"I was in a world of pain, but in a lot more shock than pain."
