Sara Bareilles Calls the Indiana State Fair Tragedy a ‘Bad Dream’

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The Sing-Off judge, singer-songwriter Sara Bareilles, released a statement expressing her thoughts and grief after a stage collapsed on Saturday at the Indiana State Fair leading to the death of five people.
 
“The accident at the Indiana State fair felt like a bad dream,” Bareilles says in her statement. “The weather changed in a matter of minutes and the stage collapsed in a matter of seconds. We are shocked and saddened by this horribly tragic circumstance and we are all praying for those affected.

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Bareilles had already finished her performance 30 minutes before the stage collapsed under the force of 60-70 MPH winds, killing five people and sending more than forty people to the hospital. 

“The emergency response was incredibly speedy,” the statement continues. “And the people of Indiana as well as the crews from the show were beyond brave and working hard to help each other.”
 
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A local paper reports that the Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration and the State Fire Marshal's office have begun conducting investigations. And Mid-America Sound Corp., the company that set up the stage, has started its own internal investigation.
 
“My heart aches for the lives lost or injured as well as their families,” Bareilles states. “We will do whatever we possibly can to help heal the hurt from this very sad day.”
 
A memorial service was held Monday to remember the victims of the wreckage.