Pukkelpop Stage Collapse Death Toll Rises to Five, Festival Canceled

The death toll from the Pukkelpop stage collapse on Thursday is now at five.

A raging storm that caused three tents to collapse at the Belgian music festival left more than 70 festival-goers injured, Billboard confirmed.

About 60,000 people were on festival grounds when the accident occurred near Hasselt, a town close to Brussels. Heavy rain, wind and hail damaged and eventually knocked over the stage tents known as The Chateau Tent, Boiler Room and Wablieft Tent.

All remaining shows were immediately canceled on Thursday evening -- the first day of the festival.

On Friday, Pukkelpop organizers confirmed the cancellation of the rest of the festival.

Words are not enough. We have struggled with the decision to continue the festival. Therefore we have decided to cancel Pukkelpop 2011, organizers said in a statement.

What has happened is very exceptional and could not have been predicted . . . We call on all Pukkelpoppers to return home calmly, they added.

The Foo Fighters, Eminem and The Offspring were all headliners of this year's festival, which included appearances from the Fleet Foxes, the Ting Tings, and the Jared Leto band Thirty Seconds to Mars.

Leto, who was scheduled to perform on Thursday night, was quick to comment on the accident through the band's Web site.

We are absolutely devastated that this celebration ended in tragedy. To those that were injured we are sending thoughts and prayers. Obviously under these horrible and dangerous circumstances, and out of respect for those who have passed, Thirty Seconds to Mars will not be playing. We love you all and hope tomorrow brings a better day, he wrote.

Pukkelpop is an annual three-day music festival that has drawn record crowds and world-class artists since 1985. Past performers have included the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Radiohead, Nirvana and Green Day.

The stage collapse in Belgium is the second music festival tragedy to occur this week. On Aug. 13, five people were killed when high winds caused a stage to collapse at the Indiana State Festival -- moments before country band Sugarland was scheduled to perform.

While music cannot change the events and losses at the Indiana State Fair, it can hopefully serve as a ritual and a balm to provide comfort and facilitate healing in this time of great sorrow, Sugarland wrote on its Web site earlier this week.