The death toll has climbed to five in what the Indiana Governor has called a "fluke" accident — a wind storm at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday lifted and collapsed a performance stage, crushing front-row fans who were awaiting a performance by the country act Sugarland.
Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels told Associated Press that precautions were taken prior to the storm, but no one could have foreseen such a strong wind gust. Besides the fatalities, dozens were injured.
The National Weather Service measured the gust that lifted the stage and sent it crashing down in the 60 to 70 mph range.
"This is the finest event of its kind in America," Daniels told AP. "This is the finest one we've ever had, and this desperately sad, as far as I can tell fluke event doesn't change that."
"It was the most traumatic thing I've ever seen," witness Crystal Wilburess, told WTHR. "Everybody just came in together as a team," she said, describing hundreds of people rushing in to help lift heavy equipment off the injured.
Four people were killed immediately when the metal scaffolding that holds lights adjacent to the stage fell on the crowd. A fifth individual died overnight at the hospital.
Accoring to AP, 45 people wer taken to hospitals, with 12 remaining overnight.
Officials planned to re-open the fair on Monday, with a public observance event planned for 9 a.m.
Video captures the terror in the moments and during the stage collapse. Here it is:
