One Dead and Six Injured After Sign Collapses at Popular Christian Festival

A deadly accident brought a massive Christian music festival in England to a sudden halt after a large sign collapsed, killing one man and injuring six others.

The tragedy happened Friday afternoon at the sold-out Big Church Festival at Wiston Park in West Sussex.

Police said the victim was a 41-year-old man from Eastbourne.

Emergency crews were called to the festival at around 3:38 p.m. after reports that a large sign had fallen near a tented area.

Six other people were injured in the incident.

Following the collapse, organizers shut down the festival and told visitors to leave the site.

Big Church Festival bills itself as the largest Christian festival in the United Kingdom. The three-day event, which began Friday and was scheduled to continue through Sunday, had completely sold out before the accident.

Police have now launched an investigation into exactly what caused the sign to collapse.

Detective Chief Superintendent Richard McDonagh said authorities understood the “immense distress” the incident had caused among the thousands of people attending the festival.

Police are asking anyone who witnessed the collapse or captured video footage to come forward.

The Health and Safety Executive and local authorities have also been notified as investigators examine the circumstances surrounding the death.

One festivalgoer, Theo Saville, said he saw a “large wooden sign” collapse near the entrance to a tented area.

According to Saville, the sign fell in the same direction as strong winds that were blowing through the area.

Shortly afterward, festivalgoers were told to return to their tents and an air ambulance arrived at the scene.

Organizers later instructed all day visitors to leave immediately, while campers were told to remain at their campsites and wait for further instructions.

Andrew Griffith, the member of Parliament for Arundel and South Downs, said there had been strong gusts of wind in the area that afternoon.

“My thoughts are with all of those impacted at this time and those responding to the incident,” he said.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to determine how the deadly collapse happened.