Tag: nature

Pukkelpop festival tragedy in Hasselt, Belgium

Associated Press reports:

HASSELT, Belgium (AP) — The death toll from a fierce thunderstorm that mangled tents and downed trees and scaffolding at an open-air music festival in Belgium has risen to five, officials said Friday.

Hasselt Mayor Hilde Claes said that two more people died overnight. About 140 were injured in the storm, 10 of them seriously, she said.

All the dead were Belgians, Claes said.

Organizers canceled the annual Pukkelpop festival near Hasselt, 50 miles (80 kilometers) east of Brussels. Buses and trains were pressed into service to transfer the 60,000 festival goers home.

This is the same Pukkelpop festival that I went to in 2009.  My sincere condolences to the friends and families of the victims.

Japanese tragedy continued

Big Picture continues the series on Japanese disaster.  As on of the comments says:

It’s just incredible how tragedy is heaping upon tragedy – the earthquake, then tsunami, then reactor problems, volcano – and now frigid weather. Love and strength to the people of Japan – your grace through fire is an inspiration to all.

I’ve only seen scenes like this one in the movies about World War II and in post-apocalyptic video games.  This one is not a result of someone’s imagination.  It is actually how things are now, today, a mere 10,000 km from me.  Unbelievable.