Stage Collapse At Dance Music Festival In Brazil Causes Death Of DJ

A DJ is reportedly dead after the collapse of a stage during the Atmosphere dance music festival in Esteio, Brazil yesterday afternoon. Video footage of the collapse (embedded below) shows a harrowing scene of wind gusts and looming storm clouds just before the stage's scaffolding begins to disassemble.

A statement from Atmosphere's organizers posted yesterday reads: "We always cherish the safety of our attendees, following all the processes, reports and authorizations requested by the local authorities," continuing on to say that "we lost a friend, an artist. Our priority is to assist the wounded and their families."

According to Gauchazh, the newspaper of nearby Porto Alegre, 30-year-old DJ Kaleb Freitas was performing when the stage collapsed and was struck by debris. He was pronounced dead at a hospital. Others were also reported to have been treated for injuries, though reports conflict on the exact number of those hospitalized.

"A beautiful day, everyone happy ... and in a matter of seconds everything changes, only those who where there know how horrible it was," one festival attendee wrote. Freitas' Facebook page has been flooded with remembrances over the past day.

A request for further information from managers of the Parque de Exposições Assis Brasil was not immediately returned; neither was a request for information from the event's organizers. The promoter listed on the event's page does not appear to have a functioning website of its own.

A similar stage collapse in Canada in 2012 resulted in the death of Radiohead's drum technician Scott Johnson. Last month, Ontario's coroner opened an investigation into Johnson's death after charges against the concert's organizers were stayed in September.

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