HURLED TO DEATH

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22903, 10 June 1936, Page 9

HURLED TO DEATH

SPECTATORS AT DISPLAY TRAGEDY IN BUCHAREST A GRAND STAND COLLAPSES (.United. Press Association) (By. Electric Telegraph—Copyright) • BUCHAREST, June 8. Fourteen people were killed and 184 injured as the result of the collapse of a grand stand while King Carol and Dr Benes were reviewing Boy Scouts and Girl Guides. The hospitals are crowded with sufferers, who are chiefly relatives of the'young performers. Scouts and Guides were the first to rush to the rescue. King Carol and his brother,' Prince Nicholas, a son of CrOwn Prince Michael, led the rescue operations and prevented a stampede. The scene of' the accident was opposite the royal box, in which Queen Marie, Dr BenCs, and the Diplomatic Corps were horrified spectators. The bands continued to play, and the programme proceeded in order to obviate panic. Another, stand collapsed without a casualty 45 minutes before the disaster, which was preceded by ominous crackings from the grand stand, which was built in tiers to a height of 60 feet. A noise like , a thunderclap signalised its collapse, the demolished stand becoming a mass of struggling people piled high on top of One' another. Six thousand persons'occupied-the stand. Prince Paul of Jugoslavia started to follow King Carol to the rescue, but decided to retain’ his place beside Queen Mane. The display was to celebrate the sixth anniversary of King Carol’s restoration. Twenty-five thousand boy and girl members of athletic associations were participating in a physical culture exhibition, which was held at the Cotroceni Plateau. An American, with 600 boys, arrived when the grand stand had place for only one more boy, .who, took it. He was severely injured. The other 590 were accommodated elsewhere and escaped, ESTIMATE OF CASUALTIES ' BUCHAREST, June 8. The latest estimate of the grand stand death roll is 30, with 600 injured. Of these 483 were taken to hospital, the others, being accommodated in private houses, owing to the hospitals being full. Seven arrests have been made, including the city’s buildings commissioner and the architects designing the stand, while all contractors and engineers concerned in its building have been detained. One architect ia'reported to have committed suicide. An angry crowd demonstrated before the house ,qf the mayor, who placed the contracts. It is expected that he will be forced to resign. A judicial inquiry has begun. The King sent a marshal from the palace to distribute money to the.families,of' the victims.