Sunday, August 21, 2011

Globe's Belgian Boombox

Only played one tune:

"Storm kills 3, hurts 71 at festival in Belgium" August 19, 2011|Associated Press

HASSELT, Belgium - A storm swept through an open-air music festival yesterday, killing at least three people and injuring 71, an official said.

Concertgoers described scenes of panic as the sky darkened, winds whipped, rain poured, hailstones pelted the crowds, and concert structures buckled....

It was the second deadly event at a festival in a week....

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Can hear it all the way in Indiana:

"Indiana mourns 5 who died in stage collapse; State authorities to look at storm, structural issues" August 16, 2011|By Tom LoBianco, Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - Hundreds of mourners gathered yesterday at the Indiana State Fairgrounds to remember five people killed when high winds caused an outdoor stage to collapse onto an audience awaiting the start of a country music concert.

Governor Mitch Daniels told the roughly 500 mourners that the tragedy broke the hearts of the state’s residents. He became emotional as he praised those who rushed to the stage to help the injured.

 “I cannot tell you how proud I am,’’ Daniels said, “to be the employee of 6 ½ million people like that.’’

Daniels said Saturday’s stage collapse was especially sad because the state fair is “a family reunion of all Hoosiers,’’ where farmers and city dwellers gather for fun.

Wind gusts between 60 and 70 miles per hour toppled the stage Saturday night as an estimated 12,000 people were waiting to see the band Sugarland....

The Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration and the state fire marshal are looking into the accident. Officials said the investigation could take months.

As they investigate, inspectors will be looking for any structural or design flaws in the stage. Another issue is whether fair organizers responded quickly enough to forecasts of an approaching storm, especially because another concert nearby was canceled because of the weather....

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Also see:

Wind razes concert stage at Indiana state fair, killing 5 and injuring dozens

Student hurt in Indiana stage collapse dies