At the Medusa electronic music festival on the beach in Cullera near Valencia, in central and eastern Spain, the stage collapsed on Saturday morning. One person was killed on the spot and more than 40 were injured. The police ordered the evacuation of the festival area.
The main stage collapsed as a result of unexpected, strong gusts of wind. Part of the structure fell on the audience having fun. In an interview with the media, participants talked about the sudden breakout of a “sandstorm” and “burning air” that was like “black smoke”.
According to the organizers, 320,000 people were to participate in the 5-day Medusa music event, which began on Friday, and two thousand policemen were supposed to watch the security.
Medusa festival in Cullera, ValenciaPAP / EPA / Natxo Frances
Valencia’s regional prime minister, Ximo Puig, expressed his condolences to the family of the deceased. “It’s a terrible accident that shocks us all,” he wrote on Twitter.
According to the national meteorological agency, at At 3 am from Friday to Saturday, in some places in Valencia the air temperature exceeded 40 degrees C with wind speeds over 80 km / h.
Main photo source: PAP / EPA / Natxo Frances