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Stage Collapses at Pukkelpop Festival, Three People Confirmed Dead

Fat Possum Records

Over the past summer, outdoor festivals have been plagued by bad weather that has caused multiple stage collapses. Now, Pitchfork reports that Chicago power-poppers the Smith Westerns were at the Pukkelpop Festival in Belgium earlier Thursday (Aug. 18) when the stage they were about to play on crashed to the ground.

While details are still unfolding, Yahoo! News -- citing Belgian media outlets -- has confirmed that three people (not four as was previously reported) have died and at least 71 people have been injured.

Just before the concert, singer Cullen Omori tweeted "Looks like it's going to rain." Several minutes later, Omari returned to the site to report the collapse and the band's gear had been destroyed.

"Stage collapsed max almost got crushed by the tress. I hope pukkelpop has insurance bc all our s--- is broke." Cullen then followed with "Praying no one got hurt. Wtf."

"We had just finished the first song of our set at Pukkelpop when the stage/tent started shaking and simply thought it was a storm passing through," frontman Omori said in an official statement. "I made a comment about Cheap Trick and we were about to play the next one when our tour manager yelled at me to run off the stage. Right then the tress collapsed one foot in front of Max. At this point we thought only the stage broke, not the tent.

"Amid the chaos it was hard to tell exactly what had happened, but after the rescue teams started coming in it became clear that there were severe injuries and we are now being told there are reports of multiple deaths. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families who lost loved ones in today's tragedy."

This is the fourth stage collapse this summer with Cheap Trick avoiding being crushed at the Ottawa Bluesfest, the Flaming Lips' narrow escape at an outdoor show in Oklahoma and the horrific stage collapse at the Indiana State Fair that killed five people.

Watch Footage of the Pukkelpop Stage Collapse

Watch a Belgian News Report of the Incident

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47 Comments

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Rik Van Colen

There's a lot of stupid comments here from people that weren't there. I was. This was an absolute freak storm of a magnitude which I've never seen in Belgium. After a scorching day with blue skies there was 10 minutes of a mini tornado that caused a 60 meter wide path of destruction for a few kilometers, with hurricane force wind. Completely unpredictable.
The Pukkelpop festival is one of the best organized festivals in the world and the emergency response was also right on the money.
And as for those 'dollar' comments... The Pukkelpop organization is a foundation that by its legal status is obliged not to make a profit as such. It is a community based organization that manages to mobilize thousands of volunteers each year, purely for the love of music and young people.

August 21 2011 at 9:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
wsa999

They set these "stages" up very quickly and take them down in the same manner. I always concerned about their stability. I really never liked them.

August 21 2011 at 5:24 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
rgsnaz

Okay, this is totally ridiculous. Who checks the stages before anyone performs? Don't they have so-called professional people like roadies, etc..doing this? I can't believe this and yes it feels like deja vu. When a storm is approaching, you make a call to hold off the concert until it passes or you cancel. People in the business, get a clue and don't just think about $$$$$$. Nothing like this happened at one of the biggest outdoor concerts. Anyone remember Woodstock. Damn.

August 19 2011 at 6:10 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
famfrench

It's like deja vu all over again! The same thing happened here at the Indiana State Fair at the "Sugarland" concert last Sunday. Five deaths and multiple injuries. Impossible to fathom the terror at what is supposed to be such a fun accasion. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all involved in this terrible tragedy.

August 18 2011 at 10:57 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
saracastle00

Well it was windy...

August 18 2011 at 10:04 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
inimegxis

the human race is becoming stupidier and dumber. It no longer thinks things through, and when something happens, it's like o my god, please help us what a disaster. usually there is a person sounding the alarm like that gy in Jaws but nobody listens because we are all self obsessed. when did it become fashionable to do things half-assed and without forethought or conscientiousness. Give the power to the person who is conscientious and not bound by eqo and that person will conquer all. until that person is allowed to rise up, we will be doomed to mediocrity and failures.

August 18 2011 at 9:07 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to inimegxis's comment
rgsnaz

I totally agree with you. It's all about the mighty dollar..

August 19 2011 at 6:11 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
hattie54

The nerdy guy on the left is wearing an American type jacket.

August 18 2011 at 8:43 PM Report abuse +1 rate up rate down Reply
statewidedb

Why didn't they call the concert in weather like that, furthermore didn't anyone check the weather before hand and see that there was going to be 70 mph winds ?? that's just stupid , somebody was thinkin with there wallet instead of their head!

August 18 2011 at 8:30 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
1 reply to statewidedb's comment
stvstreett

thanks captain hindsight !

August 19 2011 at 9:27 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jailbull

well you know. who the hell figures something like this would happen.
however woodstock 69 had a light tower fall over and ppl where on it.
there is a degree of risk in all you do.ie: skydiving, mountainclimbing , spelunking,hanggliding,etc.

August 18 2011 at 8:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
2 replies to jailbull's comment
patters85

People that think like you must have planned for the storm.

August 19 2011 at 7:25 AM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
rgsnaz

True a light tower did fall but that was back in 1969. We are supposed to be more technology savvy and smarter. And, this is not a risk like skydiving, are you kidding? You think of your own life when skydiving not the lives of hundreds and thousands of innocent people.

August 19 2011 at 6:14 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply
jailbull

well you know. who the hell figures something like this would happen.
however woodstock 69 had a light tower fall over and ppl where on it.
there is a degree of risk in all you do.ie: skydiving, mountainclimbing , spelunking,hanggliding,etc.

August 18 2011 at 8:02 PM Report abuse rate up rate down Reply