Hundreds injured in Spain after platform collapses

MORE than 300 people were injured after a wooden platform collapsed at a music festival in Spain late Sunday night, according to the local police and a spokesperson for Xunta Galicia’s health department.

One person suffered serious injuries, the department spokesperson told CNN on Monday.

The incident happened at around midnight during an outdoor concert on the final evening of O Marisquiño, a three-day culture and sports event in Vigo on Spain’s northwest coast, a spokesman for the city’s police department said.

Dozens of people were trapped or fell into the sea after the platform, which was part of the existing harbour structure, collapsed.

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In a statement Monday, the organizers of the festival said that they “deeply regret the accident” and that the area in question has been sealed off to allow experts to determine the cause of the collapse.

It added that the concerts “met the security conditions required by legislation” and that organizers were available to speak with authorities as needed.

Soon after the incident, pictures of the caved-in walkway began appearing on social media.

According to Vigo’s mayor, Abel Caballero, firefighters, local and national police and civil guard officers were all active on the scene overnight.

As false rumours of fatalities quickly spread across social media, authorities urged users not to share unverified information and to wait instead for confirmed reports from the police.