Five people were killed and at least 40 more were injured after an outdoor stage collapsed in Indianapolis on Saturday night – minutes before the country group Sugarland was set to perform.
Powerful winds from an approaching storm sent the Indiana State Fair stage to the ground about 9 p.m., crushing some concertgoers and trapping others, authorities said.
“It was like it was in slow motion,” Sugarland fan Amy Weathers told the Indianapolis Star. “You couldn’t believe it was actually happening.”
The victims are believed to have been seated between the stage and the grandstand in a VIP area called the “Sugar Pit,” the Star reported.
Thousands of people were awaiting the start of the show when the stage rigging fell onto the track.
Paramedics and rescue crews from throughout the city converged on the grounds Saturday night. Workers were frantically digging a hole to try to reach those trapped beneath the rigging.
At least 24 people were transported to area hospitals, the Star reported.
“We are all right,” Sugarland posted on Twitter just before 10 p.m. “We are praying for our fans, and the people of Indianapolis. We hope you’ll join us. They need your strength.”
Emily Davis, who was in the Sugar Pit, said the stage collapsed just after the crowd had been told it might be evacuated if the storm worsened.
