Pukkelpop Officially Cancelled Following Stage Collapse - Five Now Confirmed Dead
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Friday, 19 August 2011 |
Written by Elliott Batte
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Pukkelpop organisers have been forced to cancel the rest of the festival as the death toll reached five, following yet another devastating stage collapse caused by severe winds.
The stage of the Belgian festival was apparently hit with trees which were uprooted by intensely strong gusts of wind, causing the lighting rig to smash to the ground. It is at least the third stage collapse this summer following the recent carnage at the Indiana State Fair, which also killed five, and the Ottawa Bluesfest. Luckily no-one was killed at the Ottawa festival. 70 people were also injured in the Pukkelpop stage collapse.
Festival organisers have released an official statement confirming the premature end to the festivities.
“Pukkelpop is in deep mourning. We truly sympathise with the families and friends of the victims. Words are not enough. We have struggled with the decision to continue the festival. Therefore we have decided to cancel Pukkelpop 2011.
“What has happened is very exceptional and could not have been predicted. We are deeply moved by all the spontaneous support the festival goers and the organisation have received. We call on all Pukkelpoppers to return home calmly.
“Extra buses and trains have been organised to bring everybody home. We ask everyone to understand that this decision was extremely difficult to make.”
Charlie Fink, frontman of Noah and the Whale, who performed just hours before the horrible accident, also spoke of the unfortunate collapse.
“We were in our bus when it happened. The weather got mad, I’ve never seen anything like it, it was almost apocalyptic. It was pitch black like night but was only 5 o’clock. The freakiest part was that it went dead silent and for a festival that isn’t something that usually happens.
“Then people were just running away. A tree had fallen in the backstage area and a branch had gone straight through one of the tents, it was madness.”
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