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 organising 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 Daily Mirror Online.
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 thats 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.
(HF)
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