Dozens Injured In Stampede At Australian Music Festival
More than 60 people were injured in a stampede at the Falls Festival in Lorne, Australia last night, The Sydney Morning Herald reports. Fans were trying to get from DMA’s in the Grand Theatre tent to London Grammar on the Valley Stage when bottleneck exits and unstable ground cause the stampede, police say. Nineteen concertgoers were hospitalized with lower leg fractures, pelvic fractures and cuts and bruises, and first aid providers and Salvation Army volunteers arrived to provide on-site assistance.
In response to the incident, festival organizers widened the entrances to the tent and added another pathway to the steep hill outside. “The safety and wellbeing of our patrons is of paramount concern to us,” a spokeswoman for the festival said. “Whilst a very distressing situation, we are heartened and thankful for the amazing work of our medical teams and staff who responded with such care and support to those affected and continue to do so for the remaining duration of the festival. Normal programming will resume today.”