Stage Collapse 4 People Dead

[Leprekorn]

Reports coming in of a stage collapse at Pukapop with at least 4 people dead. Due to bad weather. Thoughts to everyone out there.

BBC Report

Edited August 18, 2011 by Leprekorn

[Yoghurt on a Stick]

Another stage collapse in such a short space of time! Scary. As you say, thoughts to everyone out there.

[Paul ™]

Sad news indeed.

Other countries have far lapse H&S requirements compared to the UK. Would hate to be working at an event and that happens

[Chiefski]

Thoughts to everyone caught up in it. I'd assume Pukkelpop would have had quite good foundations being one of Europes bigger fests, from looking at at some footage its like a hurricane has hit the place, nightmare stuff.

[Ed209]

Sad news indeed.

Other countries have far lapse H&S requirements compared to the UK. Would hate to be working at an event and that happens

Edited August 18, 2011 by Ed209

[grumpyhack]

I was at the Cambridge Rock Festival a few years back (then called the Rockinbeerfest) when we had 70mph winds. We had freak weather when a hurricanr crossed the Atlantic, swept up the English Channel before turning back across the flat fenland of eastern England. The main stage had to be abandoned and most of the campers' tents were blown flat. I woke to find my tent roof six inches above my sleeping bag. Luckily I pushed it and it popped back. No one was hurt but it was a scary night.

[The_Amazing_Oblong]

Pukkelpop has been on my 'maybe' list for a couple years now. Terrible what's happened.

[Paul ™]

We have a management team who have been over to Benicassim which is another large euro fest the past 2 years to oversee the stage security and this year the campsite too.

Few reports that they are far more relaxed about things over there, no water in the pit etc than you would get away with over here.

Tragic this has happened twice in a week, hopefully any efesters over in Belgium are safe x

[jump]

I remember reading this article about the Love Parade disaster last year and it basically says the government don't give shit and haven't looked at implementing or even enforcing the restrictions in place to prevent these kind of incidents happening.

[pinback]

...

Edited August 19, 2011 by pinback

[ampersand]

would never happen here. they can blame the weather all they like but the pyramid wouldn't be affected by 60mph winds surely?

terrible though, hope it brings changes all across the world.

[Paul ™]

Been speaking to some of the Serious Stages crew here at Reading about it, the UK have some of the most stringent H&S legislation in the world.

They do events in Europe and sometimes the site crew over there are surprised by the difference

[rexclark]

the Pyramid might not, but any of the smaller stages could easily be affected.

I love the "it couldn't happen here" that lots of people are saying

[Chas]

The closest I've ever been to a stage disaster in the UK was at Reading sometime in the 90s. Due to sudden high winds the roof partially came off the Comedy Stage and it was flapping about violently in the wind. They closed it down for the rest of the festival as the roof was torn and couldn't be fixed in place again. They also temporarily shut what is now the NME Tent as that was deemed to have become unsafe. Once the winds had subsided and the structure made secure again, Health & Safety gave the all clear and it was re-opened.

Don't believe it could never happen here.

[jump]

It could happen here but It's far more unlikely. I believe I read in a post on the Glasto forums that there's a wind limit on most stages and if it goes above that limit then a safety meeting would be called and I'd imagine appropriate measures would be taken.

Now this is just at Glastonbury, I don't know what would happen at a smaller fest.

[rexclark]

Everytime I go to a fest my Gran rings me to say goodbye incase anything happens to me and 3 times before she has rang me to see if I was alive after hearing about a death at a festival in the news and 1 time it wasn't even a fest I went to.

[feral chile]

The organizer is saying it's the weather forecaster faults as they didn't say what the wind speed is and the weather forcaster is blaming the organizer for not listening to them as they gave notice weeks in advance.

[Katster]

would never happen here. they can blame the weather all they like but the pyramid wouldn't be affected by 60mph winds surely?

terrible though, hope it brings changes all across the world.

[rachbon]

it's awful

if the storm just happened suddenly, i'm not sure how they could have prevented it.