Madonna stage collapse kills British man

A stage being built for a Madonna concert in Marseille collapsed on Thursday, killing two people including a British technician.

Charles Prow, 23, had been in intensive care following the accident, but died from his injuries overnight.

A 53-year-old Frenchman, Charles Criscenzo, was killed instantly when the structure collapsed during the set-up for the Sunday concert, which has now been cancelled.

Eight other people were seriously injured, including an American who was hospitalised in a life-threatening condition, while 36 people suffered minor injuries and shock.

"At this point we don't know how it happened, but we are confident no one else is still under the rubble," firefighter David Goddin told CNN.

The tragedy occurred when the stage at Marseille's Stade Velodrome fell apart at 5.15 pm on Thursday. Twenty-seven fire engines and 80 firefighters soon arrived on the scene.

"There were a lot of open fractures and injuries, it was a messy sight," a rescue worker told Agence-France Presse.

Madonna said she was "devastated" by the news. "My prayers go out to those who were injured and their families along with my deepest sympathy to all those affected by this heartbreaking news."

Madonna was in Udine, Italy at the time of the incident, preparing for a concert at the Stadio Friuli.

Madonna is less than two weeks into the European stretch of her Sticky and Sweet tour, one of the most lucrative of all time, grossing $91.5m in the US alone.

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