Travnin Swoop Racing Arena Collapses
Travnin, Minos Cluster — Portions of a swoop racing arena on Travnin have collapsed in an apparent accident, with as many as 200 spectators feared dead and many more buried under debris. The collapse occurred as spectators took their seats for the Travnin 800 swoop race, a popular event in the Minos Cluster and an important qualifier on the TransGal swoop racing circuit.
The Travnin 800 event has been postponed, and, according to sports commentators, may be re-scheduled on Corulag after the Tasjon swoop race, during the racsan break. No racers were injured in the arena collapse on Travnin.
Survivors say a "creaking," then a "cracking" noise was heard over the rumble of swoop engines as a bleacher portion of the arena collapsed. Hundreds of spectators are reported to have disappeared in a cloud of debris, and many were reported injured in the hurry to exit the arena. Medical teams on-site for the swoop race were inadequate for the immensity of the disaster, and authorities on Travnin have called on the Empire for assistance.
The construction of the swoop arena eight years ago was an Imperial project to encourage swoop racing as an alternative to podracing and bring more revenue to Travnin, the sector capital. Some have speculated that the Empire's design of the arena didn't anticipate Travnin's famously intense winds, which may have weakened the structure.
Early statements from Imperial officials on Travnin have referred to the collapse as a "tragic natural calamity" and have promised to help recover bodies from the rubble.
