Strong Winds From Storm Collapses Stage At Indiana Fair Kills 5 People

The weather is no joke these days:

A stage collapsed during a powerful storm at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday, sending steel scaffolding into the terrified crowd and killing at least four people awaiting a performance by the country band Sugarland.

The collapse came moments after an announcer warned of the advancing storm and gave instructions on what to do in event of an evacuation. Witnesses said a wall of dirt, dust and rain blew up quickly like a dust bowl and a burst of high wind toppled the rigging. People ran, screaming and shouting, desperate to get out of the way.

Afterward, hundreds of concert-goers rushed amid the chaos to tend to the injured, many trying to lift heavy beams, lights and other equipment that blew onto the crowd. Witnesses said many of the injured were in the VIP section closest to the stage, known as the “Sugar Pit.” Emergency crews set up a triage center in a tunnel below the grandstand at the Indianapolis fairgrounds.

About 40 people were injured, WTHR reported. But Indiana State Police 1st Sgt. Dave Bursten said that number could rise because some people may have taken themselves to hospitals. He also said the injuries ranged from cuts and scrapes to “very serious injuries,” and it was a “very likely possibility” that the death toll could mount. Associated Press photographer Darron Cummings was in the audience shortly before the collapse. He said he and his companions sought shelter in a nearby barn after seeing dark clouds approaching.

“Then we heard screams. We heard people just come running,” Cummings told the AP. “When you see dark clouds like that, if there’s going to be bad weather, there’s going to be mass chaos on leaving.” Sugarland tweeted about the incident about an hour after it happened.

“We are all right. We are praying for our fans, and the people of Indianapolis. We hope you’ll join us. They need your strength,” the band said.

R.I..P. to those who lost their lives during this tragic accident.

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