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 125 miles southwest of Richmond, as the EastLake Community Church was holding an outdoor service, Shelley Basinger, a spokesperson for Bedford County, said in a statement, per the AP. The group was in the process of leaving the event tent when it collapsed, according to Abbey Johnston, acting chief of Bedford County Fire & Rescue.
Eleven people were taken to the hospital and 11 others had minor injuries and were treated at the scene, Basinger said. “Initially, I’m told it was a very chaotic scene, trying to account for the individuals,” Johnston told reporters. 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 nondenominational church’s senior pastor, said he’d 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. “Our hearts are broken for his precious family.” The tent had seating for 1,500 people, according to officials, but it wasn’t immediately clear how many were inside when it collapsed. No details were provided about the conditions of the people in the hospital. Officials are gathering evidence as they investigate the collapse, Johnston said.
The tent had passed an inspection by the county’s building inspections division three days earlier, according to Basinger. Gov. Abigail Spanberger said her team has been in close contact with the response crew on the ground. “I am praying for the EastLake Community Church and all who are impacted, and we will continue to support the community during this difficult time,” she said in a statement on social media.
