High school stage collapses in Indiana, injuring 12 (Video)

A stage has collapsed at Westfield Washington High School, leaving numerous people injured.

According to the Westfield High School website, students were performing the musical “American Pie” at the school auditorium. During the performance, dozens of students were dancing on the stage when the orchestra pit collapsed under them around 10:08 p.m.

Blake Rice, an 18-year-old senior, said he was playing guitar in the performance, a tribute to ’80s music. As the last song began, Rice said he took a step back to allow more students onto the stage. He saw the stage collapse but did not fall through.

“At first, it didn’t seem real. It didn’t really register with me what happened,” Rice said.

Rice said people in the audience immediately ran toward the stage and began pulling debris off students. Auditorium staff pulled people out of the pit, he said.

“I realized how lucky I was,” Rice said. “Another 3 seconds and that could have been me.”

Anna Skinner, a former student and reporter for the Current in Westfield, was at the performance.

“It wasn’t very clear from my standpoint from the back of what happened but then once people put it together that kids were hurt and something drastic happened, it became chaotic,” Skinner said. “Of course everybody started to help. A sold out show is about 1,000 people and so it was completely sold out and so there were about a-thousand people trying to assist.”

Skinner said a call went out for anyone with medical training to assist immediately after the accident. Cameron Snyder is a senior at Westfield.

“I was up really high up in the stands and then all of the sudden they were all just having a great time and then boom just the stage went out and everyone went down and it was just crazy it was chaotic and everything,” Snyder said.

Captain Charles Hollowell from the Westfield Police Department said investigators are looking at the structure of the stage for the cause of the collapse. Westfield Police Department will lead the investigation with the assistance of Indiana State Police. Hollowell said they want a thorough investigation and will use other resources to make sure the investigation is complete.

Riverview Health released this statement on the collapse:

Riverview Health activated Incident Command in response to a report of mass casualties at Westfield High School at 10:08 pm on Thursday, April 23. At this time, none of the victims have been transported via ambulance to Riverview Health. We have confirmed that two victims came into the Riverview Health Emergency Department on their own and are currently being evaluating for their injuries. We will provide an update as warranted.

On Friday morning only one patient remained at St. Vincent Indianapolis Hospital.

Agencies/Canadajournal