Indianapolis, INAn outdoor concert stage collapsed at the Indiana State Fair Saturday night, killing five people and injuring more than 45, including children. Authorities said that some of the injured are in critical condition. About 12,000 attendees were evacuated from the fair grounds around 2100 local time.
A safety announcement was given on stage by Capt Brad Weaver of the Indiana State Police minutes before gusts of winds—up to 60 mph—hit and blew down the stage rigging. “Security officials and members of the public immediately helped to lift the staging to free people trapped underneath,” said Capt. Weaver, who said at a press conference that he didn’t believe there was anything else that could have been done to prevent the collapse. The stage came down just before the band Sugarland was about to perform.
A reporter for RTV6 said it was “pure pandemonium” and rigging, fixtures, speakers and lighting collapsed onto the stage and onto the track where children and adults were waiting for the concern to begin.
According to the Marion County Coroner's office, those killed on the scene were Tammy Vandam, 42, of Wanatah, Indiana; Glenn Goodrich, 49, of Indianapolis; Alina BigJohny, 23 of Fort Wayne and Christina Santiago, 29, of Chicago. Nate Byrd, 51, who was a stage rigger, died in hospital Sunday.
"It's a very sad day at the State Fair and our hearts are breaking," said the fair's executive director Cynthia Hoye. "Our prayers are with the families of all affected," said the official State Fair twitter feed. The fair has been closed but is supposedly reopening tomorrow with a memorial service for the victims.
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