One person has died and 17 were injured as the result of a partial stage collapse at the Medusa Festival in Spain. The incident happened in the early morning hours of Saturday August 13, when high winds ripped through the area of Cullera near Valencia around 4:18AM local time.
The person killed was a 22-year-old concertgoer according to the the Spanish Civil Guard, the country's paramilitary police, who spoke with CNN and is leading the investigation into the tragic event. Seventeen more people were injured, with The Guardian reporting three of them have suffered serious traumas while 14 others had minor cases. In total, 40 people were given medical attention.
The spokesperson for the festival also told CNN that the damage was more than just the stage collapse. "Due to a strong gust of wind, the main entrance and the main stage of the Medusa Festival in Cullera fell to the ground," they said, adding there were 50,000 people in attendance and it took 40 minutes to clear the grounds.
A fan-shot video on Twitter shows the intense weather that caused the partial stage collapse, as security appears to be trying to clear the area.
Organizers of the festival released a statement Saturday on Facebook expressing their condolences and announcing that the remaining dates of the six-day event were canceled.
When translated, it reads, "It is a very painful moment. Difficult and heartbreaking. A tremendously sad and discouraging moment for relatives, friends. A moment no one should ever know. It is also the hardest moment that all of us who make up Medusa Festival ever think of going through. We remain devastated. Broken inside. So much so that almost no words come out."
The statement continues, "Our thoughts continually occupy each and every one of those affected, directly and indirectly, by the unfortunate, unexpected and unavoidable accident that has occurred tonight due to the extreme and unpredictable inclement weather during the celebration of Medusa Festival. Our audience is important. They have placed their trust in us and have been the fundamental pillar for us to continue here today. The safety of those attending our event has always been an absolute priority for us. Also workers and artists. We believe that all of you who know us know that the main thing is to protect you all in each of our events."
"For this reason, and because that continues to be our maxim, the Medusa Festival organization has made the decision to definitively cancel our festival. The adverse and unexpected weather conditions that are expected to continue throughout the day oblige us morally and out of responsibility to put an end to our 2022 edition. It is a day of mourning. And respect for those affected. … Again, we express our deep and sincere condolences. Thank you all for your understanding."
Medusa described itself as a dance music festival on the beach with "celebrated DJs from both the mainstream and the underground" from the worlds of EDM, house, techno and trance. The Festicket page also notes "the festival also invests heavily in the production on display, with spectacular staging constructed on the golden sands, built around the theme for each edition."
Loudwire extends our condolences to all persons impacted by this tragedy and their families.