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Ottawa Bluesfest Stage Roof Collapses

A stage roof collapsed at the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest Sunday night during a Cheap Trick show, sending thousands fleeing and injuring numerous people, one severely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEEtq17xTuw

Ottawa, Canada (July 18, 2011)–A stage roof collapsed at the Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest Sunday night during a Cheap Trick show, sending thousands fleeing and injuring numerous people, one severely. The video above shows the roof falling; warning: turn your computer audio down (nearly off) before playing.

The aftermath of the collapse. Video still courtesy DifferentTV
The MBNA stage at the festival, held outside the Canadian War Museum, had its roof collapse due to a sudden severe windstorm that blew into the area. Gusts of up to 60 MPH buffeted the concert grounds roughly 20 minutes into the band’s set for a crowd of 10,000 people. Finishing “I Want You To Want Me,” Cheap Trick rushed from the stage to safety and the roof fell just seconds later at 7:20 PM, falling backwards on to the Ottawa River Parkway behind the concert grounds.

Reports vary, citing anywhere from two to a dozen minor injuries, while one man sustained a broken leg and abdominal injury (possibly a truck driver for Cheap Trick), and another man may have received spinal injuries. On Monday morning, Mark Monahan, executive director of the festival, announced that everyone who had been injured had been released from local hospitals. He also noted that the stage was rented from Quebec-based Berger Group/Mega-Stage.

Ottawa-based Wall Sound and Lighting, which has provided audio for the Bluesfest since 1994, could not be reached for comment. News footage shows a Meyer Sound PA rig in the rubble, including 700-HP subs, Mica line array boxes and UM-1P monitors.

[Story updated at 4PM EST, 7/18/11, to specify that the roof collapsed, not the stage]

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