one dead and dozens injured after strong gusts of wind at a festival south of Valencia

Par Sudouest.fr
Published on 08/13/2022 at 11:56
Updated on 08/13/2022 at 2:03 p.m.

A gust of wind swept away part of the main stage and the entrance to the Medusa festival, on Cullera beach, south of Valencia. The provisional report shows one dead and around 40 wounded

One person died and several dozen were injured following several structures at the Medusa Sunbeach festival collapsed on Cullera beach, regarding 50 kilometers south of Valencia, due to a sandstorm and strong gusts up to 80 km/h, according to Spanish media.

Around two o’clock in the morning from Friday to Saturday, the Spanish national meteorological agency Aemet explains that there were “hot flashes” with “very strong gusts of wind and a sudden rise in temperature” . The phenomenon swept the region of Murcia to Valencia.

Several structures of the festival, including part of the main stage, and other modules, collapsed. A 22-year-old festival-goer was killed and several dozen others injured.

The site was immediately evacuated, and the festival, which expected to gather some 320,000 people until Monday, was “temporarily suspended” by the management of the event who declared themselves “completely devastated and appalled by what happened ‘has passed “.