Catastrophic collapse: Merseburg ice rink tent disaster shakes advent plans
A day before the opening of the makeshift ice rink in Merseburg market, a catastrophic accident occurred. The tent structure unexpectedly collapsed, causing several support pillars to bend and leaving roof beams along with disco balls hanging oddly towards the ground.
11:26 AM EST, December 1, 2023
The ice rink at Merseburg market was expected to serve as a key attraction during the city's advent celebrations. Unfortunately, the day before its grand opening, set for Thursday afternoon, the tent sheltering the ice rink gave way.
The Volunteer Fire Department reported receiving a call just after 11 AM ET. The spokesperson commented, "It's possible that one side tilted, causing the structure to lose all support," during an interview with "Bild".
Thankfully, no injuries were reported according to the Merseburg fire brigade. The operations manager confirmed, "Everyone was able to reach a safe place."
As photos shared on an Instagram story depict, parts of the tent landed on the ice. Several pillars were left leaning over the edge with the roof beams suspended almost parallel to the ground.
Cause of Collapse Still Uncertain
The exact cause leading to the disastrous partial collapse is yet to be identified. Certainly, the event wasn't triggered by snowpile weighing down the roof, as there was no significant snowfall in Merseburg on that Thursday. The task to mend the significant damage now falls onto the operators, Stadtwerke Merseburg.
