OVIEDO: A 22-year-old man was killed and 40 people injured early Saturday morning when strong winds hit the Medusa music festival in the Spanish region of Valencia.
Police were investigating the exact circumstances behind the death, but authorities reported that the man was hit by part of the concert stage that was torn off by the wind, reported Anadolu Agency.
The electronic music festival’s entrance and exit also collapsed, while videos showed people’s tents nearly blown away and damaged other structures.
The Spanish meteorological agency, AEMET, recorded wind gusts stronger than 80km per hour in the area just after 4 am local time (0100GMT).
Meteorologists attributed the winds to a heat burst, a rare meteorological event caused by a sudden drop in humidity and an increase in temperatures. It produced strong winds across the Valencia coast.
Organisers of the Medusa music festivals said the winds caught them off guard and that the festival was evacuated immediately after the danger was perceived.
According to the Spanish daily El Pais, the festival, which was set to run from Wednesday through Monday and attract 320,000 people, will not continue after the tragedy.
Electronic music stars David Guetta, Afrojack and Steve Aoki were headlining the festival. - Bernama
