At least one killed after storm collapses tents at Belgian festival

At least one killed after storm collapses tents at Belgian festival

2011-08-19 01:07:16 GMT+7 (ICT)

HASSELT, BELGIUM (BNO NEWS) -- At least one person was killed on early Thursday evening when a severe storm collapsed large tents at the Pukkelpop festival near Hasselt in Belgium, local media reported.

Heavy rainfall accompanied by strong winds hit the region at around 6.15 p.m. local time, collapsing a number of tent structures. Several large trees were also uprooted, causing further damage.

De Standaard newspaper and other Belgian media initially reported that at least six people were killed, but De Standaard later revised the number down to one. It said an unknown number of people were injured. All events at the festivals have been canceled.

Pukkelpop is an annual music festival which takes place in the village of Kiewit, about 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) north of Hasselt. It is the country's second largest music festival with more than 180,000 visitors.

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