One dead and dozens injured after stage collapses at Spanish festival OLASMEDIA TV NEWSThis is what we have for you today:
One person has been killed and dozens injured when high winds caused part of the main stage to collapse at a dance music festival near the Spanish city of Valencia.
Other infrastructure was also damaged in the early hours of Saturday when wind gusts swept through the Medusa Festival, a massive electronic music festival held for six days in the east coast town of Cullera.
At the festival, where French DJ David Guetta would play on Saturday, DJs were on five stages all night on Friday.
Of the injured, three suffered serious injuries and 14 had more minor injuries, regional emergency services said. Regional health authorities later said 40 people were being treated.
“We are completely devastated and saddened by what happened this morning,” the organizers said in a statement posted to the festival’s Facebook page.
They said “extraordinary” weather conditions had caused damage to several infrastructure at the festival site.
“At approximately 4 am, unexpected and strong high winds destroyed certain parts of the festival, forcing management to make the immediate decision to leave the concert area to ensure the safety of attendees, workers and performers,” the organizers said.
The festival has been suspended for the time being, she added.
DJ Miguel Serna was on the main stage from 3 AM to 4 AM when the incident occurred.
Strong winds affected the festival, forcing visitors to flee early
(Reuters)
“It was a tense few minutes; I’ve never experienced anything like this,” he wrote in an Instagram story on Saturday.
“The tragedy happened just at the end of my session on the main stage, just below, which was the most affected [area]. It was a few moments of horror; I am still in shock.”
National broadcaster TVE showed images of strong gusts of wind pounding people’s tents in the middle of the night.
“We are in shock because we were 30 meters away” [from the stage]. It could have been me; it could have been anyone,” Jesus Carretero, who was at the festival with his brother, told TVE.
The national weather agency Aemet said there had been “strong gusts of wind and a sudden rise in temperature” during the night, with gusts of 82 km/h at Alicante airport in the Valencia region.