Couple die in theatre tragedy at performance dedicated to Wuhan medical workers who fought coronavirus
- Husband and wife were caught in rotating seats but local government only revealed the accident 12 days later, prompting online anger
- General manager and operations manager of Wuhan Wanda Dragone fired after incident at the Han Show Theatre
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Almost two weeks after the accident, the Wuchang district government in Wuhan posted its first information about the incident that occurred about 9pm on September 6 at the Han Show Theatre, a venue run by the Wuhan Wanda Dragone Performing Arts Company.
“Right now, we are still investigating the causes of the accident and the responsible parties. Meanwhile, Wanda has reached agreement with the family of the deceased on matters about compensation,” the government notice said without naming the couple.
The Wanda Group has fired the general manager of Wuhan Wanda Dragone, Deng Wei, and operations manager Deng Wulin since the accident, it said on its official website on Friday.
Early this week, a friend of the victims’ family posted on Weibo, saying that the female victim, a nurse at Wuhan Tongji Hospital, her husband and their four-year-old son were invited to the celebratory show dedicated to nurses and doctors who fought the pandemic.
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At the end of the show, the boy reportedly slipped under the seat. While trying to rescue the boy, the couple were crushed to death by the rotating chairs, the post claimed.
The Beijing News spoke to the family insider who said the couple’s relatives were still dealing with the aftermath and declined to speak further.
The Han Show theatre’s official website shows there are 2,000 seats in the room and 415 of them have been modified to rotate.
A theatre staff member told The Beijing News that during the show, some seats move like a fan opening and closing, to allow the best view of onstage effects.
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According to online advertising, the Han Show theatre had been suspended since the pandemic broke out and was due for its first public reopening show on September 10.
On September 6 and 10, it was scheduled to hold three shows solely for Wuhan medical workers in a celebration called “City of Heroes”. Doctors and nurses could register for tickets with their identity cards and medical licence.
The tragedy has created a backlash online towards the theatre as well as the Wuhan city government, with the public calling for an investigation.
“It’s ironic that our soldiers came back victoriously from the front lines and died at the seat of the celebrations,” one commenter said on Weibo.
One person questioned why it took 12 days for the investigation to be made public. Others said the government should provide more information about the investigation.
“We need to know how the seats were produced, how they made it through [safety] inspection and what the safety risks are. These are the key points so to avoiding similar accidents in the future,” the commenter said.
