You don't go to a concert and die: PART 2

[Geronimo '74]

At the Pukkelpop Festival in Hasselt; Belgium,

5 people died when an short but very severe thunderstorm blew down trees, tents and scaffolding.

5 dead, 8 severely injured in the hospital. over 30 light injuries.

This is one of the biggest festivals we have. about 200.000 visitor over a long weekend.

Very sad indeed. RIP

[svandamme]

nuts

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Temporary structures simply aren't designed and installed with the same level of scrutiny and oversight as permanent structures. Even in the construction field, a large percentage of job site accidents are related to scaffolding and other temporary structures (excavations, shoring, etc.)

Look for this to change going forward as more and more scrutiny is given to these sorts of things. Pretty soon you won't be able to even pitch a tent without a building permit. Safer? Maybe. Better? ...

That's where things are heading.

[Geronimo '74]

I wonder what the concequences will be towards future festivals and events.

This morning I heard some guy from the fire department say on the radio that everything was in order, safetywise.
No fire hazzards, weatherproof,... all ok.

Of course they did not expect this kind of violent winds...
There was some heavy weather predicted but this was very local. Five miles further they just had some rain showers and a bit of wind...
It's been on the radio here all day.

Ten remain heavily injured and hospitalized, three are still critical.

[lane912]

and this happened in the EU!
much higher building standards for temp structures and events-
everything is engineered and inspected that it built as drawn-
if it is not or you do not have the enginereed drawings, take it down no show-

[sammyg2]

Who the heck built those trees! Damn shoddy work if you ask me.

Maybe I'm just naive because we don't have severe weather here but it seems to me like it would be better not to go outside when there's a threat of a gnarly storm.

Maybe folks elsewhere are so used to it they are desensitized?


I take that back, we do have severe weather here sometimes.
I remember hearing of a plastic lawn chair tipped over ...........

[gtc]

Often times these festivals are multi-day events where people camp out, so taking shelter isn't always an option. You're out in the middle of a plain... where do you go?

[JJ 911SC]

Very weird weather.

This is the 3rd stage collapse in 1 month;

Ottawa Blues Fest, Indianapolis State Fair and now Pukkelpop Festival in Hasselt