Mendoza, Argentina - stage roof collapse

[Roderick]

Found this about a stage roof collapse during the Grape Festival in Mendoza, Argentina.

YouTube

Can't find much other information, anybody with contacts or details?

[Junior8]

 

I found this and google translated it. It is obviously from some left wing source but the bare bones are here. A lucky day for the organisers.

 

 

The Daily Left

International Network

 

 

Around 22.30 on Friday, February 24, when the chamber orchestra of the National University of Cuyo was in the scene of the vintage party of the capital department, strong wind gusts blew the roof of the stage along with the Grill of lights, and seconds later broke a giant screen. In this chaotic situation there were public runs through the central park of Mendoza, scene of the party.

 

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Ambulances of different hospitals had to take care of the wounded, all of them light, since luckily the ceiling and the lights fell in a field where there were no people at that time. In addition, the firemen intervened to support with emergency structures the sheds that had been mounted for the show.

 

Beyond the climatic conditions, which were already forecasted but a few hours ahead, it is not the first time that serious incidents occur or large structures collapse in these mega festivals that handle millions of pesos of public funds or private capital. These "massive shows" are very profitable, since they are based on the exploitation and absolute precarization of the workers who assemble the structures of the stages, the lights, the sound, the giant screens, etc. Behind these events are hidden long hours of work against the clock, so that everything is ready at the time of the show. All this at the cost of the safety and integrity of workers, who often suffer accidents at work or injuries, sometimes very serious, and countless times no one takes over since they are "freelance" (self-employed) workers. Everyone who works in the entertainment environment knows that there are great entrepreneurs who, for extraordinary profits, want to lower production costs, wages, safety and hygiene, etc. And only adapt to certain norms when social crimes like Cromañon, put the evidence of the worst way in this situation. Successive governments are complicit in this entrepreneurial world, and also use this great apparatus of production to work politically on youth and society in general, a situation that is accentuated in times of electoral campaign. Within the state, this partnership with businessmen, and this complete "production system" was used to sabotage the organization and achievements of state workers of artistic bodies and staged highly organized trades. They do this by creating parallel structures and businesses with the big entertainment companies that put themselves at the service of governments in political campaigns. These companies, big or small, that have a rapid development in times of electoral events, events and major recitals, are essentially anti-union and, with some exceptions where workers could impose some conditions, do not allow unionization.

 

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The trade union organization of the workers of culture, in all companies and at the state level, is a phenomenon more than necessary; And the nascent trade union organization that groups them is auspicious. It is imperative to fight for our rights, and to expose this complicity, which gives them great impunity.

 

 

The following is the press release from the Argentine Sindicato de Ingenieros Escénicos (SATE):

 

In view of the serious incident that occurred on the night of Friday, February 24, 2017 under the Grape Harvest Festival in the City of Mendoza, we call on the parties, both private and state, to carry out a strong self-criticism and a serious and Responsible about how these types of artistic productions are faced in terms of assembly, development and security of the stage and / or property. The blasting of a roof and the collapse of a scenario are not only consequences of the climatic factor. There are other factors that must be investigated by experts with the Union to take the necessary actions and minimize the possibilities of these serious structural collapses. Unfortunately, this incident, like many others that we have been reporting, including deaths from electrocution and falls, add to tragedies already known as Cromagñon, in an activity that is constantly fighting against job insecurity. We call on the authorities of the national government, provincial government, the business sector, artists and musicians together with the stage workers to dialogue and work to improve this reality and regulate our activity. From the Argentine Sindicato de Ingenieros Escénicos (SATE), we ask for the support and collaboration of the general public while we sympathize with the injured people and fellow workers of the Province of Mendoza.

 

 

© 2016 THE LEFT HOUR - Terms and Conditions

[dsharp7th]

another terrifying incident at the same festival a few days later

 

EDIT - the clip is a bit back to front - at 3.30 the lighting rig falls onto stage, partially upending the crane, which falls completely several minutes later, but is shown falling earlier in this clip. a couple of the other videos of this show it in real time.

[Whiskers]

The crane seems to have lifted the centre advance truss on a very long jib from the back row of the stadium? That may be an unwise try!

[bigclive]

Did the crane hit a high voltage cable too? The flash across the crane and where the jib hits the ground suggests more than just standard mains voltage.