Indiana Tragedy Shakes Production Industry

The collapse in high winds of a temporary concert stage at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday claimed five lives and left almost 50 injured, according to news reports. An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the collapse began on Sunday, and its findings will be watched with great interest by the event production industry.

In addition to issues surrounding the build and stability of the structure itself, the question of why the event was not stopped and the audience evacuated far sooner will surely form a major part of the investigation.

It is reported that organizers had urged audience members to seek shelter just minutes before the sudden winds hit the stage structure -- far too late, as it turned out, for an effective evacuation. With news reports claiming that forecasters at the National Weather Service had predicted the strong winds of 60-70mph up to two hours before they struck the State Fair site, there are real question marks over the safety measures that were or were not taken by those running the event.

State governor Mitch Daniels stated that the predicted storm reached the site some 20 minutes after the accident, and that the stage was destroyed by an earlier freak gust of wind: "It's not clear to me at this stage how anyone could have foreseen a sudden, highly localized gust of wind in one place," he said.

The Indiana coroner has identified the five people killed as Tammy Vandam, 42, of Wanatah, Indiana; Glenn Goodrich, 49, of Indianapolis; Alina Bigjohny, 23, of Fort Wayne, Indiana; Christina Santiago, 29, of Chicago; and Nathan Byrd, 51, of Indianapolis, who died in hospital. It is understood that Byrd was a stagehand at the event. Two other people remain in a critical condition.

The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the structure was built by Mid-America Sound Corp., of Greenfield, Indiana, a regular contractor for the Indiana State Fair, and that the company employed roof systems designed by James Thomas Engineering, whose US operation is based in Knoxville, Tennessee. According to the WSJ, James Thomas Engineering confirmed on Sunday that one of its US engineers was heading to Indiana to investigate.

PLASA, the leading entertainment technology trade association, with bases in North America and Europe, has issued the following statement on the events in Indiana: "PLASA is deeply saddened by the accident in Indiana at the Sugarland concert. We cannot comment on the specifics of what happened there. We simply do not know the details of what happened, and understand that there are ongoing investigations into what caused the collapse and the response to it.

"As the largest international trade association for the entertainment technology industry, PLASA has been writing voluntary American National Standards to enhance the safety of the entertainment industry for nearly two decades. While PLASA has no information and cannot comment on the equipment, procedures or protocols used at the Indiana State Fair Grounds, PLASA developed and approved American National Standards E1.2 and E1.21 that pertain to outdoor structures. These two voluntary standards may apply to the structures erected on the Indianapolis State Fair Grounds, although PLASA cannot say whether the standards were followed in Indiana."