Home · Faith · Jun 12 archive
Tent Collapse at Virginia Church Event Kills One, Injures Dozens
Developing
In Short: A large tent collapsed during a church event in Moneta, Virginia, killing one person and injuring nearly two dozen others due to heavy weather conditions.
A large tent collapsed during a Virginia church’s 20th anniversary celebration, killing one person and injuring nearly two dozen others, officials said, as heavy rain, lightning, and strong winds tore through the area.
The group was in the process of leaving the event tent when it collapsed, according to Abbey Johnston, acting chief of Bedford County Fire and Rescue. Eleven people were taken to the hospital and 11 others had minor injuries and were treated at the scene.
Troy Keaton, the senior pastor of the non-denominational church, said he had just walked up to the stage to tell the group to go to their cars when a gust of wind picked up the tent, leading to the tragic event.
The tent, which had seating for 1,500 people, had passed an inspection by the county’s building inspections division three days earlier, according to officials.
Background
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. It borders Kentucky to the west, Tennessee to the south-west, North Carolina to the south, West Virginia to the north-west, and Maryland to the north.
What's confirmed
What's still developing
- A large tent collapsed during a Virginia church’s 20th anniversary celebration on Friday evening, killing one person and injuring nearly two dozen others, officials said.
- Heavy rain, lightning and strong winds tore through Moneta, a small community about 124 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of Richmond, as the EastLake Community Church was holding an outdoor service, Shelley Basinger,…
- The group was in the process of leaving the event tent when it collapsed, according to Abbey Johnston, acting chief of Bedford County Fire and Rescue Eleven people were taken to the hospital and 11 others had minor…
- Officials rushed to rescue everyone inside the tent behind the church and move them to safety as the strong thunderstorm raged on, she said.
- Troy Keaton, the non-denominational church’s senior pastor, said he had just walked up to the stage to tell the group to go to their cars when a gust of wind picked up the tent.
- “Sadly one of our dear brothers suffered a fatal injury,” he said in a statement on social media.
- The tent had seating for 1,500 people, according to officials, but it was not immediately clear how many were inside when it collapsed.
- The tent had passed an inspection by the county’s building inspections division three days earlier, according to Basinger.