Indianapolis Star:
Last night
A gust of wind blew through Indianapolis at 8:44 p.m. Saturday, causing a stage setup for the planned Sugarland concert to collapse, killing five people and injuring more than 40 at the Indiana State Fair.
The fair is closed today, and activities are scheduled to resume on Monday. No information on what events might be cancelled at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand including the Janet Jackson or Train concerts scheduled for later this week.
UPDATE: 12:15
Safety investigators and police are inspecting the site of Saturday night's fatal stage collapse at the Indiana State Fairgrounds today, but Gov. Mitch Daniels is among those who put the biggest blame on wind gusts that sooner than expected, ahead of a powerful storm.
This morning, family members of dozens of injured concert-goers and workers were standing vigil at area hospitals. The collapse of overhead stage rigging onto a crowd waiting for country band Sugarland killed four people at the scene and sent 45 to hospitals, according to revised injury numbers issued by Indiana State Police today. Another dozen or two checked themselves into hospitals overnight.
The death toll grew to five early this morning, when a lighting crew member -- who had climbed atop the structure to aim a light before the collapse -- was pronounced dead.
Last night, after the opening act at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand had finished, but before Sugarland was set to take the stage, an announcer told the crowd of approaching severe weather. But officials held off on ordering an evacuation.
According to a timeline issued today by Indiana State Police, at 8:49 p.m. -- about 25 minutes before the storm's forecasted arrival -- a strong gust of wind blew through the fairgrounds, toppling the stage setup onto the those closest to the stage.
As the crowd scattered, scores of fans rushed toward the metal structure to lift it off victims.
"What you saw last night was a display of best qualities, both public and private, of Hoosiers," Daniels said during a news conference this morning in the Farm Bureau Building at the fairgrounds. He became choked up as he talked about the emergency response.
The names of the five killed by the accident were released by the Marion County coroner today. The four who died at the scene were Tammy Vandam, 42, Wanatah, Ind.; Glenn Goodrich, 49, Indianapolis; Alina Bigjohny, 23 Fort Wayne; and Christina Santiago, 29, Chicago. Nathan Byrd, 51, Indianapolis, died at Methodist Hospital early this morning.
The fairgrounds was closed today, but activities were scheduled to resume on Monday. Fair officials are still considering alternate plans for events set for the grandstand this week, including concerts by Janet Jackson and Train. No details have been announced.
After the fair's 8 a.m. reopening Monday, the fair will have a public remembrance for the victims at 9 a.m. at the Free Stage.
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