Massive Fire Forces Evacuation at Barcelona EDM Festival
“All 22,000 visitors were evacuated safely and without reports of injuries,” organizers say after blaze engulfs main stage
Over 22,000 people at Barcelona's Unite EDM festival were evacuated after a massive fire engulfed the main stage.
Over 22,000 people at Barcelona’s Unite EDM festival were evacuated from the city’s Parc de Can Zam after a massive fire engulfed the main stage.
“Tonight, July 29th 2017, the Unite Barcelona stage caught fire due to a technical malfunction,” organizers said Saturday. “Thanks to the professional intervention of the authorities all 22.000 visitors were evacuated safely and without reports of injuries.”
Although no serious injuries were reported, at least 20 people were treated for minor injuries and anxiety, the Associated Press reports.
Video from the incident shows the fire start in the upper right side of the stage’s rigging, with the blaze eventually spreading to the entire stage as attendees evacuated the festival grounds.
The fire, which required 12 firefighting units to extinguish, started just before midnight at the festival, an offshoot of the popular Belgian EDM fest Tomorrowland. The rest of Unite Barcelona was canceled following the fire, as the stage was “completely destroyed” and risked collapsing.
On Sunday morning, organizers promised festival goers that their tickets would be refunded in full. “July 29th had everything to be a great night and the incident happened on stage makes us very sad,” organizers wrote. “The most important thing is that no one was injured.”
