A strong gust of wind brought down the stage at the Indiana State Fair on Saturday 8/13/11. As of now there are 4 casualties and 43 reported injured. Witnesses say the stage snapped “like a toothpick.”
Photo: Ernie Mills Photography
Capt. Brad Weaver, commander of special operations for the Indiana State Police, said he took the stage at 8:45 p.m. to warn the audience of severe weather. Ten minutes later, the wind gust blew through. He said he “saw the framework from the stage start to come over.”
Sugarland posted this message on their twitter account not long after the stage came down “We are all right. We are praying for our fans, and the people of Indianapolis. We hope you’ll join us. They need your strength.”
These photos, captured by photographer Ernie Mills speak magnitudes of what happened in Indiana. The fans even attempted to help lift the stage rigging, in hopes of being able to save those below it.
Photo: Ernie Mills Photography
We will have more information and actual witness interviews in the next day or so. Please stay tuned for updates on this.