Five dead in stage collapse at Indiana State Fair

Witnesses said the wind hit minutes after a safety warning was given on stage

At least five people have died after a stage collapsed at a concert in the US state of Indiana, officials say.

The authorities said the stage came down during a storm at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis as the band Sugarland were about to perform.
Police said another 45 people had been injured, some critically. A number of people were trapped under the wreckage.
The Indianapolis Star newspaper said winds of up to 60mph (96 km/h) had been felt at the site.
The collapse happened as some of the 12,000 concertgoers were being evacuated from the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand at around 2100 local time (0100 GMT), said the paper.

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It almost seemed like a hurricane hit out of nowhere”

End Quote Chris Concertgoer

• In pictures: Indiana stage collapse

Video footage posting online showed crowds screaming as strong winds brought the staging structure down in seconds.

The official State Fair Twitter feed asked people to wait for more information on the tragedy.
"Our prayers are with the families of all affected," it said.
Four people were initially confirmed dead but another died of injuries overnight, Indiana police said. The victims have not been identified.
Media reports said a number of children were among those taken to hospital.
Capt Brad Weaver of Indiana State Police said he had just given a safety announcement on stage when the winds hit.
He had taken cover behind a trailer and "saw the framework from the stage start to come over".
Pure pandemonium Capt Weaver said security officials and members of the public immediately helped to lift the staging to free people trapped underneath.
He told a press conference he did not believe there was anything else that could have been done to prevent to collapse.