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Sunday, August 14, 2011

Stage Collapse Kills 4 in Indiana

Indy Star: The Indiana State Fair has been canceled today following a stage collapse that killed at least four people at a Sugarland concert.  It was not immediately known whether a day of the fair has ever been canceled.

The fair was expected to resume Monday with a public prayer service, said Indiana State Police Sgt. Dave Bursten in a press conference at 1:45 a.m.

Today would have been the 10th day of the 17-day fair. A special parade was scheduled to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the fair's Pioneer Village, and contemporary Christian music concerts were set at the Energy Armor Free Stage. Livestock shows featuring dairy cattle, dairy goats, pygmy goats and horses also were scheduled today.

Bursten said people with animals at the fair will be allowed to tend to them, and a skeleton work crew would be on hand on Sunday.

The outdoor stage rigging collapsed Saturday night during a gust of wind of at least 60 mph just minutes before Sugarland was set to go on stage. The rigging at the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand collapsed onto a portion of the crowd on the track in front of the stage. People were warned just a moment earlier of the coming storm, but told the show would begin shortly.

Sugarland was scheduled to perform tonight at the Iowa State Fair.

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