A large tent collapsed during a Virginia church’s 20th anniversary celebration on Friday night, killing one person and injuring nearly two dozen others, officials said.Heavy rain, lightning and strong winds tore through Moneta, a small community about 124 miles (200 kilometers) southwest of Richmond, as the EastLake Community Church was holding an outdoor service, Shelley Basinger, a spokesperson for Bedford County, said in a statement.The group was in the process of leaving the event tent when it collapsed, according to Abbey Johnston, acting chief of Bedford County Fire and RescueEleven people were taken to the hospital and 11 others had minor injuries and were treated at the scene, Basinger said.“Initially, I’m told it was a very chaotic scene, trying to account for the individuals,” Johnston told reporters.Officials rushed to rescue everyone inside the tent behind the church and move them to safety as the strong thunderstorm raged on, she said.
Troy Keaton, the non-denominational church’s senior pastor, said he had just walked up to the stage to tell the group to go to their cars when a gust of wind picked up the tent.
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