Sunday, April 20 2008

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COLLAPSED: This unidentified member of the St James Tripolians collapsed backstage shortly after his band performed at the Pan in the 21st Century Co...

IT WAS A night of tragedy for one of two pan-lovers who went to Friday night’s Pan in the 21st Century competition but died after collapsing backstage, according to unconfirmed reports from Pan Trinbago.

Patrick Arnold, the President of Pan Trinbago, the body that organised Friday’s event yesterday said he had heard unconfirmed reports that a woman, described as a “pan lover” had died from a heart attack, but he did not have any more information about the incident.

At about 9.03pm, Fire Prevention Officers at the concert’s Northern Greens Venue were seen rushing backstage, just west of the stage in the area where bands that had already performed were assembled.

One later told Sunday Newsday that a woman and a man had collapsed backstage and that the man was diabetic.

Eyewitnesses said they saw the man tremble, and then collapse, moments after the St James Tripolians performed their crowd-pleasing version of El De Barge’s “Rhythm of the Night”. The man was said to be a member of the Tripolians while the woman was described as an onlooker.

Both were taken to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital in an ambulance where the woman, said to be obese, was reportedly pronounced dead on arrival.

Members of the Tripolians attempted to block members of the press who gathered at the scene when the incident took place, with some becoming threatening and irate.

Sources at the PoS General Hospital, however, confirmed that a woman was pronounced dead on arrival shortly after 9pm on Friday night. The dead woman is expected to undergo an autopsy tomorrow. Belmont police yesterday said they had no record of the incidents.