Tragedy at Belgian Pukkelpop festival

Sublab · #1 08-19-2011, 03:36 AM

Belgium is a pretty small country but we’re known for having well organized, big festivals with lots of names from small to world famous.
The thing about Belgian festivals is without doubt the atmosphere and the sense of freedom.
But yesterday the 26th edition of Pukkelpop kicked off with a tragedy and right now it’s been officially announced that the festival will shut down due to the severity and number of casualties.
All summer has been a wet one, with hailstorms that tore even my own veranda apart. I ‘d never seen such natural violence. But yesterday a whole new natural monster arose on the festivalsite of Pukkelpop. While other parts of Belgium got their fair share aswell, it was the most devastating at Pukkelpop, simply because people were out in the open, with no place to hide.
At a little to six in the evening the sky literally went dark over Belgium. Clouds so thick and full of water blew over. Skunk Anansie was playing on the main stage when suddenly the clouds released everything in them with such a force that people rushed into the marquee tents which were already packed with thousands of others dancing to Netsky and other bands. With the never before seen rain came a thundering hailstorm, again never before seen in Belgium, and then the tearing winds. You have to picture this to feel it: no such severe weather was predicted and we just aren’t used to seeing storms this fierce and most of all this sudden. Skunk Anansie rushed off of the stage just as lighting pole, a big one!, was toppled over by the wind and smashed into one of their trucks. A full grown tree, something not easy to snap in two, did just that and collapsed on top of food and ticket stands. The marquee tent, providing place for several thousands started trembling. A smaller tent (and by tent I mean a huge tent housing a stage and everything, probably weighing several tons) started trembling as well, right up to the point where one of the video screens fell down. The tent started tearing apart. People started getting scared and tried to make their way outside. Those outside tried to make their way in. The hailstorm made it impossible to stay outside. The fences that normally are there for your protection got picked up and thrown around. The proud and huge letters spelling ‘PUKKELPOP’ were torn from their sockets and thrown on the ground. The campsite was flooded in a matter minutes. All of this together made for one serious situation. In the storm that came up so sudden and blew over just as fast 5 people lost their lives while others are still fighting for life at the hospital. Numerous others have sustained injuries.

Strength to all those hurt and in shock by what happened.

EddiePlaysBass · #2 08-19-2011, 03:52 AM

Two of the casualties were people from my street: a girl I have known since she was a litte toddler, and her boyfriend. It felt awful hearing about the festival but it hits home even harder when it turns out to be someone you know (be it casually).

Not to be cynical but I also wonder what the implication for the festival itself will be. This will be a huge financial blow to the organisation, as I am sure that over the next couple of days, once the initial shock has worn down, people will start asking for refunds on their tickets.

Ironderby · #3 08-19-2011, 04:04 AM

My thoughts go out to everyone, i watched footage of a tree going through a tent, its horrific. Hope everyone is okay!

Sublab · #4 08-19-2011, 04:05 AM

"Two of the casualties were people from my street: a girl I have known since she was a litte toddler, and her boyfriend. It felt awful hearing about the festival but it hits home even harder when it turns out to be someone you know (be it casually)."

Strength to you and the families, this is a hard time.

"Not to be cynical but I also wonder what the implication for the festival itself will be. This will be a huge financial blow to the organisation, as I am sure that over the next couple of days, once the initial shock has worn down, people will start asking for refunds on their tickets."

That could be the case, people demanding a refund. However, I hope people realize this storm is not some artist dying on drugs and alcohol, or a bad case of organization. This was nature tearing up what probably is one of the best festivals in Europe. I believe most people will realize this and not start demanding a refund. Nobody wanted this to happen and nobody could stop it.

Heard about the NOS reporter giving us Belgians the blame for this?
That guy deserves a good beating.

Kris

Blisterfinger · #5 08-19-2011, 06:13 AM

That's awful news. I myself was at Graspop this year and the weather was abysmal for the first 2 days of the festival. It was really uncharacteristic as I was there last year also and the weather then was scorchingly hot. Nothing near as bad as that at Pukklepop though.
My thoughts go out to those affected.

jaywa · #6 08-19-2011, 07:02 AM

Another stage collapse? Good lord.

Here are some pictures. You can see the various letters on the ground that the OP described.

Scene from Pukkelpop music festival stage collapse - chicagotribune.com

Sublab · #7 08-19-2011, 07:16 AM

More than a stage collapse really. A ten minute violent storm practically turned one of our beloved festivals into complete chaos. Believe me, such violence is something we Belgians normally only witness on T.V., and no weather forecast had any idea something like this would suddenly turn up like that. I spoke to a young guy yesterday who had come back after the horrible events. He spoke of how the biggest tent on the site just shook back and forth and how everything just looked like it would collapse. Unfortunately another tent actually did collapse with the tent poles being bent by a gail force wind. A food tent totally broke down killing one man. So sad this happened. People just wanted to feel free for three days and dance and have fun, but then this happens.

dmusic148 · #8 08-19-2011, 07:31 AM

Sounds like it must have been a tornado, very common here. Very frightening and destructive, I know. So sorry that people were injured and killed.

Sublab · #9 08-19-2011, 07:38 AM

Near to my band's rehearsal space in a town called Aarschot they apparently witnessed a whirlwind. Something us Belgians are not used to. How do you guys in America deal with the threat of such violent weather? You guys just know it can happen!

bassboy85 · #10 08-19-2011, 07:43 AM

This really scares the hell out of me. It can whereever and whenever, there are no safe places anymore...
Is it global warming and therefore our fault that things like this happen?! I found this interesting article in the Washington Post.
There have been so many tragedies lately, Roskilde in Denmark or the Love Parade in Germany

Richland123 · #11 08-19-2011, 08:54 AM

I am so sorry and saddened to hear of such a weather related tragedy. My sympathies go out to all who were killed, hurt, or affected in anyway.

Last Sunday, my band was ready to hit the stage at an outdoor concert that I organized for a large festival opening for a national act. Thousands of people were there for the show and 8 minutes before we were to play, the clouds let loose a major rainstorm and the entire stage area had water on all the power cables, power breaker box, and P.A. We had nowhere to run and could not touch anything until the main power was shut off at the pole, which took awhile for the electrician to get there due to the severe storm. There was ligthning and hard rain for hours and the tent was blowing around as well. Myself and the festival chairperson immediately cancelled the concert due to the extreme safety issues. Fortunately, nobody was hurt or killed and we are all very grateful for that.

jaywa · #12 08-19-2011, 09:08 AM

Definitely a bad year for outdoor music... worst I can remember, in fact.

I have to say I feel extremely blessed that my own band has played 10-12 outdoor dates this summer and we haven't had even a drop of rain on any of the shows... no problems with wind... and only one show out of the whole bunch that was uncomfortably warm.

cableguy · #13 08-19-2011, 09:16 AM

Terrible. Hope the people and area recover quickly. Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

schecter5string · #14 08-19-2011, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dmusic148

Sounds like it must have been a tornado, very common here. Very frightening and destructive, I know. So sorry that people were injured and killed.

It does "sound" like a tornado, but to my understanding tornado's only happen in North America due to us having 2 jet streams running through the country.

Ayce · #15 08-19-2011, 09:49 AM

Possibly a "Microburst". A sudden, violent down draft.

I did a post on this subject yesterday with a link to a Sympatico story about it. That's the fourth one reported this year.

Sublab · #16 08-19-2011, 10:33 AM

For those who can stand it, look up the Chateau on Pukkelpop 2011 on you tube, I've never seen anything so horrifying. To think all those people were in that tent trying to escape the hurricane winds and downpoor and the tent just got smacked to the ground.

EddiePlaysBass · #17 08-19-2011, 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sublab

Heard about the NOS reporter giving us Belgians the blame for this? That guy deserves a good beating.

No?

Sublab · #18 08-19-2011, 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EddiePlaysBass

No?

he basically blames 'that typical unorganized Belgian way' for the chaos that ruled Pukkelpop after the storm. I mean, this guy is immediately pointing the finger to 'our' way of being unorganized after a serious storm ravaged a festivalsite that is louded for its safety and good organization, but that was hit by, to us at least, a very rare and violent storm. Even for a media reporter I feel such accusations are very much below the belt. Anyway, he's being criticised for his words.

My thoughts go out to you and your friend's families.

Fassa Albrecht · #19 08-19-2011, 01:33 PM

I can only pray and send my best wishes to anyone involved. This is the second incident at a music festival (there was one in the US only a few days ago) in a short space of time.

Sublab · #20 08-19-2011, 01:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by schecter5string

It does "sound" like a tornado, but to my understanding tornado's only happen in North America due to us having 2 jet streams running through the country.

I just watched an interview with Chokri, the guy organizing Pukkelpop, and he showed us how the whirlwind (what they call it right now) made its track along the festivalsite. Three stages (tents) were partly or totally ruined, while the four remaining stages suffered severe gushes of wind and an extreme amount of downpoor, but remained intact. So this storm or whirlwind followed a clear path, ravaging everything in its path. I never heard of anything like this doing this in our part of the world, and I'm 32! But it is a reality now. I'm no global warming militant, but it does get me wondering.