At a Glance
- Winds up to 80 mph appear to have made trusses supporting the venue's entrance collapse.
- The Oklahoma resort had ordered fans to evacuate when lightning was seen in the area.
A storm with winds up to 80 mph caused the entrance to a Backstreet Boys concert venue to collapse, officials said. At least 14 people were hurt and taken to a hospital.
About 150 concertgoers were waiting in line Saturday at the WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Oklahoma, when the storm struck at 5:30 p.m. CDT, according to a statement from the resort. The high winds knocked over trusses supporting the venue's entrance.
The resort had started evacuating the concert venue about 5 p.m. after lightning was spotted within 4 miles. The 150 people remained in line, the resort said.
"We know that fans often suffer through inclement weather for their favorite acts, but this was an unusual event and our thoughts are with those who were injured during this storm," the resort's statement said.
Kym Koch-Thompson, spokeswoman for the WinStar World Casino, said the injured people were treated at the scene then taken to hospitals in Oklahoma and Texas, the Associated Press reports. She says they were all treated for minor injuries and released. The casino in Thackerville is about 70 miles northwest of Dallas.
Kevin Richardson, one of the Backstreet Boys, tweeted that a tent collapsed and people were being treated for injuries.
Richardson's band mate Nick Carter also tweeted that they were praying for the injured fans.
Richardson later tweeted that the concert was being canceled.
WinStar later said the concert was postponed to a later date.
