Tornado Delays CAC Games in Puerto Rico
A tornado that touched down in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico delayed the start of the XXI Central American and Caribbean Games, and injured at least five people. Reports say the scaffolding with lights collapsed at the stadium forcing officials to delay the opening ceremony.
Chef-de-Mission Donna Watson who traveling with the Bermuda team said “There were about 5 people who got injured. They were all of the workers preparing for the Opening Ceremony. One of the gentleman lost their finger. I was out in the middle of the tornado but fortunately where I was didn’t get the worst of it.”
A team of 60 Bermudian athletes are in Puerto Rico now, which is the largest-ever team to represent Bermuda at the CAC Games. Bernews understands that all the local athletes are fine, and have not been injured, however we have been unable to get complete confirmation of that.
“At the moment we have information that people are injured and the meteorologists have told us they expect two similar episodes during the afternoon,” police Col. Francisco Carbo told The Associated Press yesterday. One of the victims had three of his fingers amputated and a 3-year-old received minor injuries on one hand.
Despite damage to tents, the main stage and special effects equipment, the opening ceremony for the Central American and Caribbean Games Mayaguez 2010 will be held in Central Stadium at 5 p.m. today, the newspaper Primera Hora reported.
Below a police officer speaks next to the wreckage of a light tower which fell at Mayaguez Central American Stadium, Puerto Rico yesterday [July 17] at the location where the opening of Central America and Caribbean games was to be held.
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Below is a raw video of some of the damage from yesterday:
