Music was bumping and St. Patrick’s Day celebrations were underway once again on Semple Street in Oakland on Saturday — the day after a porch roof collapsed at an off-campus house there near the University of Pittsburgh, sending 16 young adults to the hospital.

Witnesses told TribLive there were about 20 students on the roof of a porch for a St. Patrick’s Day weekend celebration on Semple Street that collapsed on a group of about another 20 students shortly after 5 p.m. Friday.

One remains hospitalized, UPMC said in a statement Saturday.

Pittsburgh Department of Public Works’ white road barriers that had been blocking both entrances to the 300 block of Semple Street, where the incident took place, were moved enough to let cars pass through the street as of Saturday morning.

But the alleyway leading to the backyard where the roof collapsed was still blocked off with yellow police tape.

Though the scene was relatively quiet aside from the music Saturday morning, at about 2 p.m., Pittsburgh police assisted by Pitt police were called to Semple Street “to disperse a large crowd of people.”

A permit had been previously issued for an event in the area, police said, but was since revoked due to the crowd size being “significantly higher” than what the event was permitted for.

After police arrived, the crowd cleared without further incident, police said. One man was taken to the hospital in stable condition with minor facial injuries that police say he suffered after falling on the sidewalk.

Pittsburgh police didn’t make any arrests or issue any citations.

By around 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon, TribLive witnessed St. Patrick’s Day revelers filling Semple Street once again — prompting a police presence — with many holding “borgs,” or mixed alcoholic drinks made in an emptied plastic gallon milk jug.

Officers drove through the street on bicycles and in two police cars to usher people off the street, itself. There was also a street cleaning truck going back and forth on and around Semple Street to clear debris.

Between 300 and 500 people were in the space between the house where the roof collapsed and houses across the backyard from it, according to Pittsburgh Public Safety spokeswoman Emily Bourne. She could not confirm Friday night how many were on the porch or under it when it collapsed.

Of the 16 young adults hospitalized, all were in stable condition, with three initially in serious but stable condition, according to Bourne, with minor leg and arm injuries and a number of concussions. She couldn’t confirm whether those injured are students.

UPMC Presbyterian hospital confirmed Saturday in a statement that it received 16 patients from the roof collapse. Fifteen were treated and released, and one patient was admitted.

Witnesses said they saw others who had been bleeding and injured leaving the scene without waiting for medical attention there.

Pittsburgh Department of Permits, Licenses and Inspections condemned the rear porch, but the residence, itself, was not condemned, according to Bourne.

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The public safety department had not issued any citations as of Saturday.

Marlin Nabors, associate vice provost and dean of students at Pitt, sent a safety reminder email regarding St. Patrick’s Day weekend to the student body and Pitt families Friday night, just a few hours after the roof collapse.

“While this is certainly a time for enjoyment, please remember to make choices that prioritize your safety and the well-being of others,” he wrote.

Nabors specifically urged students to stay off of the rooftops in Oakland in bold lettering in the email.

“These illegal gatherings pose significant safety hazards that can lead to serious injuries,” he wrote.

Pitt seniors told TribLive Friday that Semple Street is a popular party street for students, especially on holiday weekends.

Students were encouraged to look out for one another, have a transportation plan in place, stay hydrated, eat regularly and “know your limits if consuming alcohol,” Nabors said.

Resources available include:

  • SafeRider program for free, non-emergency transportation between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. for Pitt students, faculty and staff
  • RAVE Guardian app, a safety app that lets students submit anonymous tips to Pitt Police, set a safety timer when alone in an unfamiliar place and call Pitt Police directly
  • Pitt Police line at 412-624-2121

“Let’s make this St. Patrick’s Day weekend memorable for the right reasons,” he wrote.