Spanish singer and dancer Joana Sainz Garcia has tragically passed away following a pyrotechnics explosion while performing onstage.
As El Diario Montañés reports (via the BBC), Sainz Garcia had been performing with the Super Hollywood Orchestra on the final night of a four-day festival in Spain’s Avila province.
Shortly after 2am on Sunday morning, tragedy struck in front of an audience of over 1,000 as a cartridge from a pyrotechnic device struck Sainz Garcia in the stomach, knocking her to the ground and rendering her unconscious.
“A call was received to report an incident in Las Berlanas, where a pyrotechnic device has exploded on the stage of the orchestra and a woman, belonging to the orchestra, has been injured and is unconscious,” a spokesperson of Spain’s 112 emergency services explained.
“The Civil Guard and medics were alerted. She was attended to at the scene before being taken to the Avila Healthcare Complex.”
While paramedics attended to the 30-year-old and rushed her to a hospital near Madrid, she was later pronounced dead.
In a statement to Avila Red, Isidoro López, manager of Prones (the group in charge of the orchestra), explained that it was likely a “manufacturing defect” that caused the pyrotechnic device to malfunction, noting that they had used a similar device for a number of years without incident.
“[We] express our most heartfelt condolences to the family, partner, and friends for the loss of our colleague Joana,” Prones shared in a post on Facebook. “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.”
Likewise, the local government also shared a tribute to the late performer, extending their condolences to her family, friends, and bandmembers during this difficult time.
Check out Joana Sainz Garcia performing with the Super Hollywood Orchestra:
