The VIP platform on which a son of the President and many other VIP’s
were partying at the Colombo Hilton had collapsed around midnight
injuring scores of revelers during the New Year’s Eve party.
Initial reports said that the VIP platform had around 200 guests when the incident occurred.
“There
was blood all over with the entire platform collapsing. We had to rush
the injured in our vehicles because there were no ambulances,” one of
those present at the scene said.
The party attracted many of Colombo’s youth and was considered a hot spot by many revelers.
The Hilton when contacted declined to comment on the incident and said that a media release would be issued shortly.
However,
it is learnt that Hilton Hotel Colombo was the only venue for the party
with ‘Cantaloupe Play Ground’ in charge of organizing it.
When contacted a Director of the event organizer, said that they are “in the process of attending to the injured” currently.
“
We are doing everything we could to get through to the inured and are
looking at ways that they could be compensated. We take full
responsibility for the incident although the stage was sub contracted.
It was our party and therefore we take responsibility. An investigation
is currently underway in to the incident” he told.
Many patrons blamed Hilton Colombo and the event organiser Cantaloupe Play Ground’, negligent handling of the incident.
“
I had the pleasure of observing the event staff walking around confused
as to what they were meant to do, whilst finally deciding that
collecting the unbroken alcohol bottles would be more of a priority than
helping those in need. What disgusted me the most though was when one
of the event organisers announces 'guys can you please get off the
remaining stage, so that we can inspect the integrity of it to make sure
at least that's okay and WE CAN THEN GET YOU BACK TO PARTYING'” one of
the patrons said on the Facebook page of the event organizer.
Another
said that that the organizers did not attend to the injured and instead
let the party carry on despite many of the victims suffering serious
injuries.
“We had no help from either Cantaloupe or Hilton. We
had to carry our friend out and then get her into an ambulance. There
was blood all over the place. People were screaming for ambulances. My
friend had broken her ankle, my other friend had burns and bruising on
her body and yet another friend had a gash on his knee. The emergency
ward at Nawaloka was filled with people who had broken limbs, a broken
rib, lots of cuts from glass" the post read.
Meanwhile the event
organisers ‘Canataloupe playground while providing an explanation to the
incident had posted a hotline number on their Facebook page in order to
be contacted by the injured.
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