Father, daughter killed in circus tent collapse at New Hampshire fairgrounds
A father and daughter attending a circus performance in rural New Hampshire were killed and 32 others were injured on Monday when a thunderstorm with 60 mph winds caused the tent to collapse, officials said.
The tent collapse happened at a Walker Brothers’ Circus event at about 5:45 p.m. on Monday night in Lancaster, a town in northern New Hampshire near the Vermont border, State Fire Marshal Bill Degnan said at a press conference Tuesday. Officials are investigating what caused the collapse.
The circus company had traveled around New Hampshire in recent years, but did not contact any state or local officials with a request to conduct a tent inspection, Degnan said.
“If they were notified, they would have done an inspection,’’ he said.
The names of the two people who died are being withheld until their families are notified and autopsies are performed. Degnan said some injuries were severe, but he did not elaborate. About 100 people were inside the tent at the time of the incident, he said.
“It’s very disastrous to the local community and the families involved,’’ Degnan said. “And now a family is disrupted forever.’’
The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm watch on Monday afternoon. A severe thunderstorm warning went out about 20 minutes before the tent collapsed.
A “place of assembly’’ permit is required in order to hold this type of event, Degnan said. Officials are investigating whether that request was made.
Walker International Events, the company that runs the circus, did not immediately return requests for comment. The company is currently seeking counsel, Degnan said.
The National Weather Service will assist the investigation.
“It’s obviously a tragic incident, and we hope people can learn from this,’’ National Weather Service spokeswoman Margaret Curtis said. “And to know that, when there’s a thunderstorm watch in effect, to be on the lookout and take shelter.’’
Representatives from Walker Brothers are currently seeking counsel, Degnan said. Walker Brothers Circus performances scheduled for Tuesday in Bradford, Vermont are canceled.
Another storm caused a tent at a suburban Chicago festival to collapse on Sunday, killing 35-year old Steven Nincic, who was on a carousel with his two daughters only moments before the accident, according to The Chicago Tribune. An attorney representing the Nincic family said the weather and the installation of the tent will be “litigated extensively.’’
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