Girl Hospitalized Following Collapse Of Chicken House Roof In Ellendale

The collapse of a chicken house roof in Ellendale has left a 12-year-old girl injured.

According to Delaware State Police, several people were working in the chicken houses in the 17,000-block of Maple Branch Road Tuesday afternoon. A 17-year-old boy noticed that the food and water lines were sagging and started to tell everyone to get out, when the roof collapsed.

Several got out, but the girl was pinned under the fallen roof. Others removed her, and she was taken to a local hospital and was in stable condition. An 11-year-old girl who was not trapped was also injured and was evaluated at a hospital.

State Police say heavy snow on the roof likely caused the collapse, but the incident is still under investigation. At the time of the incident,  a 17-year-old male, a 12-year-old female, a 14-year-old female, an 11-year-old female, a 20-year-old female, and an adult male were working in the chicken houses located on the property.