Indiana State Fair gate
By: Staff
Four people were killed by a stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair last night. 40 people were also injured in the collapse of the grandstand stage, which had hosted Sara Bareilles earlier and was to host country stars Sugarland that night. Footage of the incident can be viewed below.
The injured were taken to either Methodist or Wishard hospitals, and some are in critical condition, so we might see the death toll rise. “I want to be very frank that there could be other deaths,” state police Sgt. Dave Bursten said during a briefing at 1:45 am this morning.
According to the Indianapolis Star, the concert, which was being held at Indiana State Fairgrounds Hoosier Lottery Grandstand, was being calmly evacuated at around 9 pm when winds that were clocked at over 60 mph brought the stage crashing down into the audience. Out of respect, the fair was canceled today, but will resume on Monday with a memorial service, open to the public, to honor the victims of the collapse.
Just moments before the stage came down, a gust of wind had taken down some of the stage’s production equipment, prompting the initial evacuation. Crews responded quickly to block off the streets surrounding the fairgrounds to allow quicker access for the parade of ambulances needed to help the injured. Emergency workers set up an area in the tunnel beneath the grandstand stage to move the injured out of the weather; their quick response undoubtedly saving lives.
This incident comes less than a month after there was a stage collapse during a Cheap Trick show at the Ottawa Blues Fest. Stay tuned for more updates.
