"Luckily only three people were injured" when wild winds caused glass windows at a Wollongong leagues club to come crashing down on bingo players.
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"It definitely could have been much worse,'' Illawarra Leagues Club general manager Nick Condell said.
"They were very lucky that there were tables in the way that took the brunt of it a bit.
"We feel for all the bingo patrons who were traumatised last night and hopefully they are all going good."
Paramedics attended the club just after 9pm on Friday night after reports patrons had been hit by the falling windows in the level-two bingo room on the western side of the building.
Three people were treated for head and shoulder injuries. One of the patients, a woman in her 40s, was transported to Wollongong Hospital with a minor head injury.
"You trust the integrity of the engineering of these things," Mr Condell said.
"We know it was a big gust but beyond that we are at a bit of a loss to explain why [the glass wall] popped in and fell into the club."
The general manager said staff reported hearing a "loud whack sound" at the time of the incident.
"The strong wind gust compromised some of the panels in a glass wall that runs along the balcony in the upstairs auditorium, and fell into the club," he said.
"The whole glass wall will need to be replaced. That's pretty much the only damage.
"The area has been closed off and secured. We expect it will be repaired and returned to normal trade within a week or so."