inthemix | International News | Tree tragedy kills camper at Serbia's Exit Festival

The saying ‘good things come in threes’ obviously cuts both ways. Following reports of Creamfields Czech Republic’s catastrophic storms and the Aquamarine Festival in Russia’s horrifying laser accident, a third incident has struck the Eastern European festival circuit.

One person died and two were seriously injured at Serbia’s Exit Festival last weekend after a tree branch broke and fell thirty meters onto two tents in the camping area below. Exit organisers reported that medical teams arrived within minutes after the branch fell at 9am on Sunday, but were unable to save Jelena Matic, 28, from Serbia, who died in hospital several hours later.

Macedonian festival goers Dafina Anastasova and Gjorgji Markoski were also seriously injured in the accident, which Exit organisers blamed on strong winds on Saturday night. “Three days before the festival the trees had been cut by a professional company whose job it is to remove all old and dying branches,” they said in a statement. “Immediately after the accident all the trees were checked again and it was found that the branch that fell down was healthy with no dry leaves on it.”

An inquiry into the accident was launched immediately, finding that “the accident was the result of force majeure, meaning due to the circumstances which could not have been foreseen nor prevented.” Exit added. Festival publicist Rajko Bozic told Skrufff the entire team have been deeply affected by the tragedy. “Security and safety are the top priorities on our festival, but it was the force you can’t predict nor prevent,” said Rajko. “It was the kind of accident that could happen anywhere, anytime.”

“It’s still hard to talk about the festival itself following this accident,” he added, “By all parameters it was best Exit so far, but we can’t be happy nor satisfied. It’s hard to exclude personal feelings from the professional at the moment,” he said. Exit are to establish a scholarship memorial fund in memory of Jelena which will aid bright students from her home town of Paracin.