State Agencies Investigating Indiana Fair Stage Collapse

INDIANAPOLIS (WANE) - Several Indiana state agencies, including the Attorney General's Office, are working together to determine what caused the fatal stage collapse which lead to the deaths of five people at the Indiana State Fair Saturday night.

The initial question investigators are trying to answer, is whether faulty construction led to the collapse, or if weather is to blame.

Mid-America Sound, the company in charge of setting up the stage, doesn't have any history of trouble or violations with OSHA.

A new computer generated model of the incident shows 70 miles per hour winds tearing off the top awning, which ended up acting like a sail. That extra pull twisted the structure, causing the already top heavy stage to collapse.

Engineers say it was simply too much for the stage to handle.

Jeff Edwards, a stagehand at the event says, "That roof was not designed for 70 mph winds. You can't fight Mother Nature."

Crews set up the stage every year before the fair starts, then it is disassembled and stored once the fair is over. This particular stage has been used for about 15 years.