BOne person has been killed when a stage collapsed at a music festival near Valencia. Several dozen people were injured, three of them seriously, the Valencia Region Ambulance Service said on Saturday. According to the regional health authority, 32 people were treated in hospitals, three of whom were hospitalized.
Strong winds caused parts of the stage construction to collapse. The accident happened in the early hours of the morning at the Medusa electronic music festival, which is being held for six days in the east coast town of Cullera, south of Valencia.
According to the Spanish Weather Service, the storm was a relatively rare phenomenon that was difficult to predict. In this case, air masses from a great height would sink down at great speed and heat up considerably in the process. As soon as the air hits the earth’s surface, it spreads out in all directions and there are extremely strong gusts of wind.
The festival was suspended due to bad weather to ensure the safety of visitors, staff and performers, festival organizers said on Facebook. As a precaution, the festival site was cleared to facilitate the work of the rescue and security services.