MARSEILLE, France — Charles Criscenzo, a 53-year-old French worker, was killed July 16 when the stage being assembled for a July 19 performance by Madonna at the Stade Velodrome collapsed on top of several workers. A second worker, 23-year-old Charles Prow, who was from the U.K., died later from his injuries.
At least eight others sustained broken bones and other injuries, including an American who was severely injured, according to news reports.
The cause of the stage collapse remained unclear. Some reports noted that the roof fell after one of four cranes lifting the roof structure became unstable. Others noted that roof truss had become unbalanced before the crane fell over. Still another indicated that a faulty power winch may have started the trouble.
Authorities quickly barricaded the area for safety and for further investigation.
The roof structure of the stage collapsed at 5:15 p.m, according to CNN, which also reported that the first of the sold-out series of shows at the Velodrome, which had been set to begin July 19, had been cancelled. Instead of performing on that day, Madonna visited with the injured workers.
U.K.-based ES Group denied a link between the accident and the collapse of the stage last November in Dodger Stadium. ES Group issued the following release:
“We were incredibly saddened by the tragic accident during the construction of a stage at the Velodrome at Marseille. Our thoughts at this current time go out to the families and loved ones of the two men who died and to those who have been injured.
“Two of our Directors have flown out to Marseille to visit the injured and to get a better understanding of what caused the accident. At present, it would not be appropriate to speculate on potential causes of the accident, but we are working closely with the French authorities to investigate what caused this incident. This is normal practice for such an incident and we will provide a further update as soon as it is possible.
“There is absolutely no technical or other connection between the incident at the Dodgers Stadium in November 2008 and the tragic accident yesterday (July 16 2009) at the Velodrome in Marseille.”
