One dead and 92 injured at Pohoda Festival

Festival is cancelled as big top collapses

Tom Bentley - 20 July 2009

A 29 year old reveller was killed and 92 more were injured as a freak storm caused a stage tent to collapse at Slovakia's Pohoda Festival on Saturday afternoon.

The fan, from the Slovakian town of Piestany, died when the event's O2 Arena tent fell back to earth after being lifted off the ground during a severe storm.

Reports from the Slovak Republic Press Agency indicate that a total of 92 ticket-holders were injured during the tragedy which unfolded at around 4pm on Saturday afternoon.

40 of these were admitted to a total of nine hospitals in the surrounding area with three being treated for life threatening injuries. 52 more received first aid on site.

The festival was subsequently cancelled and participants evacuated from Trencin Airport which played host to Slovakia's biggest cultural event for the 13th time.

Organiser Michal Kašcák was said to have suspended the event for up to three hours because of the storms and warned punters about the bad weather. He is also reported to have said that the 2009 edition could be Pohoda's last.

The arena show was described as a fly-trap by one eye-witness as thousands flocked to the tent, which was the only place where music was being played.

A police investigation is now ongoing to determine whether organisers endagered the public by staging the performance.

Last weekend a 22 year old Brit, plunged to his death from a fortress wall at Serbia's acclaimed EXIT Festival (click here for the full story) whilst 1,500 revellers were forced to evacuate Benicassim Festival's site after strong winds forced the Kings of Leon to cancel their show (click here for the full story).