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Scary. That's the third time in the last month, previously Cheap Trick in Ontario on July 18th, Flaming Lips in Tulsa on August 8th (that one got less press attention, apparently because the show hadn't begun yet and there was only one band member endangered). Nothing like that at my local county fair a couple weeks ago - the benefits of living where you get very little actual WEATHER.
Here's the latest status: The State Police are searching every building, vehicle, and cranny on the fairgrounds to make sure there aren't any unknown victims, who may have wandered away from the site due to injuries or shock. An unknown number of people self-transported to hospitals and other care providers, so there may be as many as 200 injured (worst-case number). Video shows the stage rigging falling into the "Sugar Pit", where Sugarland's best fans apparently hung out. Video also shows the follow-spot operators ascending the rigging a few minutes prior to the collapse. The names, etc. of the identified victims are still being withheld pending notifications. 2 of the victims remain unidentified at this point.
The show security staff, primarily the Indiana State Police, had apparently made the decision to postpone the show and evacuate the grandstands, and were positioning security people to accomplish this when the gust front hit and caused the accident.
One of my friends updated her Facebook since the accident, so she's OK, and another I was concerned about is on the safe and sound list at the Red Cross. I'll sleep easier tonight.
The fair has closed for at least tomorrow, modulo a skeleton staff to care for the animals.
The grandstands where most of the videos were shot sits between where the stage was erected and the Pepsi Coliseum, where the 1963 Holiday On Ice Halloween tragedy occurred. (A propane tank exploded, and 74 people were killed.)
This has been an enervating and harrowing evening here in Indiana. Goodnight, all, and thanks for listening.
Now that I work in a job where we do a lot of large events, I've become a lot more aware of the serious importance of stage setup and rigging. IT's tempting to cut corners because professional event management is so expensive. But this is exactly the kind of thing that it guards against. Sometimes the contracts demand such exacting standards for stage setup and safety checks that it seems ridiculous, but it's serious business.
We were watching all the Indy news channels last night, following the tragedy. The videos of the collapse are really sickening. I'm glad your friends are safe, Phil.
Wow, what a scary event for all concerned. It really is troubling how many times this has happened this summer, as foop's links make clear. People obviously are cutting corners where they shouldn't.
I wonder about union stagehand contracts. Quick lazy googling gleaned nothing, but still, I have union friends, and I wonder if their salt is being undermined. I'm not sure. I know they know their trades, though. Hate to speculate.