The Indiana State Fair reopened on Monday after a memorial service for the victims of the stage crash on Saturday.
“There was a hero every 10 feet on Saturday night,” said Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels at the ceremony. “I cannot tell you how proud I am to be the employer of six-and-a-half million people like that.”
Many of those in the crowd worked to help others after the accident.
A storm announcement was made at 8:45 p.m., but there was no evacuation. Nearly five minutes later, the stage collapsed onto the front row of the crowd waiting for the band Sugarland, and other audience members rushed to help.
Sugarland is a country music duo from Georgia. In a statement on the band’s website, singer Jennifer Nettles wrote that she was “Moved by the great heroism as I watched so many brave Indianapolis fans actually run toward the stage to try and help lift and rescue those injured. Moved by the quickness and organization of the emergency workers who set up the triage and tended to the injured.” Her band partner, Kristian Bush, wrote of the rescuers, “The courage of those men and women will forever be with me.”
So far, five people were killed by the crash caused by winds of 70 miles per hour, and about 40 more were injured, some seriously. The fair was closed on Sunday for investigation. Daniels said no one could have foreseen the sudden burst of wind. The forecast had been for rain and a thunderstorm, but the local police said winds of that speed were not mentioned in reports.
Hundreds gathered at the ceremony to honor the victims with a moment of silence and a hymn before the fair reopened with flags flying at half-staff.
