In a shocking incident, the platform where famous Turkish popstar Tarkan was due to perform on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Liberation of İzmir has tumbled down, with one injured and no deaths reported so far.
Tarkan recently announced that he is coming to İzmir, Türkiye’s third-largest province, to give a concert on Sept. 9 to mark the anniversary.
On Sept. 7, while the works were still ongoing to fully set up the stage and arrange music systems, the platform suddenly collapsed with a loud bang, panicking people who witnessed the incident.
One person was reported to be injured and is in good health after getting treatment at a nearby hospital.
People were asked to evacuate the premises for their safety, and three canes were brought to clear the debris.
Expressing his sadness over the incident in a social media post, Tarkan said: “I was very happy to know that at least my teammates are fine. Get well soon to everyone. In the meantime, I am on my way. I am going to İzmir. We will do everything we can to make this concert happen.”
İzmir Metropolitan Mayor Tunç Soyer informed that there was no serious injury and loss of life in the accident. “We take solace in the fact that there was no loss of life and no injuries. We will inform you again about the concert,” he stated.
Suleyman Yunus Pirman, who witnessed the accident, explained the details of the incident: “Everything toppled over as the roof fell while we were walking nearby. There was no sound of screaming or anything, and the security guards said there was no one there. The stage was completely destroyed, and then they turned off the lights.”
Meanwhile, İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Fire Department teams will start the work of clearing the debris and saving the intact stage equipment if any.
Following the announcement of Tarkan’s concert, houses with balconies in the area began to be rented for $500 per night.
Hurriyet Daily News