may quay 3d | international summer school |
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The stage rigging that collapsed and killed seven people at the Indiana State Fair last summer did not meet industry safety standards, and the accident was made worse by the absence of a fully developed emergency plan, investigators concluded in two reports released Thursday.
The disaster at the Indiana State Fair in August killed seven people and injured dozens just before a band was to perform.
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: April 12, 2012
- Sign In to E-Mail
- Reprints
Connect With Us on Twitter
Follow @NYTNational for breaking news and headlines.
Twitter List: Reporters and Editors
During a 90-minute presentation to the Indiana State Fair Commission, officials from Thornton Tomasetti, an engineering company, and Witt Associates, emergency planning advisers, detailed the results of their separate investigations into the Aug. 13 collapse, which also injured dozens of people just before the country duo Sugarland was to perform.
Scott Nacheman, a vice president at Thornton Tomasetti, told the commission that the metal rigging structure used to support speakers and lighting did not meet industry safety standards, which would require it to be able to withstand wind gusts of 68 miles per hour.
Gusts reached an estimated 59 m.p.h. when the rigging collapsed, he said.
"Once gravity had taken over, there was essentially no way the structure could support itself," Mr. Nacheman said.
Charlie Fisher, a vice president for Witt Associates, told the commission that "an ambiguity of authority" resulted in confusion and uncertainty over who was in charge of public safety as officials discussed whether to postpone the concert just before strong winds blew stage rigging onto waiting fans.
Kenneth Mallette, vice president of preparedness services at Witt Associates, said a fair representative had asked Sugarland's tour manager to delay the start of the show, but the band resisted, its tour manager saying: "It's only rain. We can play."
The fair commission voted to begin acting on both reports' recommendations and to hire a chief operations officer to oversee public safety at the fairgrounds, which are about five miles north of downtown Indianapolis.
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét