Spanish Pop Star Joana Sainz García Killed After On-Stage Pyrotechnics Explosion
A Spanish pop star tragically died doing what she loved after a pyrotechnic malfunctioned at a festival over the weekend.
Joana Sainz García was on stage performing with the Super Hollywood Orchestra group early Sunday morning when the fatal incident in Las Berlanas, Spain occurred, El Diario Montañés reports.
Video footage of the tragedy obtained by El Norte de Castilla shows Sainz García, 30, dancing beside several other performers before a stage pyrotechnic device suddenly explodes.
Sainz García was immediately knocked unconscious and her fellow performers were seen rushing to her aid on stage after the terrifying explosion, which was observed by nearly 1,000 festival-goers and resulted in a suspension of the show.
The pop star was rushed to the Hospital Complex of Avila but was pronounced dead, the Super Hollywood Orchestra group’s promoter, Prones 1SL, confirmed on Facebook.
“[On behalf of] Prones 1SL agency, that represents the Super Hollywood Orchestra, and all our staff, musicians, assembly, and artists, in general, [we] express our most heartfelt condolences to the family, partner, and friends for the loss of our colleague Joana,” Prones 1SL wrote.
“She always showed exemplary behavior, both personal and artistic, in addition to a great human quality. It’s going to be very difficult for all of us to overcome her absence,” the agency continued. “We will always remember you, Joana. R.I.P.”
The orchestra group, which is comprised of 15 singers, musicians, and dancers, was closing out the four-day festival in Las Berlanas.
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Prones 1SL’s owner, Isidro López, said the group has previously used pyrotechnics more than 2,000 times in their performances and have never had an issue with them, according to El Diario Montañés.
López said the Civil Guard is currently investigating the León-based company who supplied the materials, as well as the Catalan company where they acquired the cartridges.
“When loading the cartridge, they put in another material and exploded the iron casing, which [injured] Joana,” he said, according to El Diario Montañés.
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In a statement on Facebook, the local government of Las Berlanas, which organized the festival, expressed their condolences over the tragedy.
“From the Municipal Corporation of Las Berlanas and as representatives of the whole town, we want to extend our condolences to the relatives of Joanna, the girl from the Super Hollywood group who died yesterday in our town, as well as to all her groupmates,” the government wrote.
“We also want to thank… all visitors for their good behavior in those difficult times,” they continued. “Thank you very much DEP Johana Sainz. You are in our memory.”
