Tragic Death Mars Exit

Local mayor Igor Pavlicic believes an investigation will determine whether anyone is responsible for a tragic incident that left one fan dead and injured four others at Exit Festival.

Jelena Matic from the Serbian town of Paracin died from head injuries, a girl from Skopje is reportedly in critical condition with serious head injuries and two other young Macedonians were seriously injured after part of a tree fell on two tents early in the morning July 12.

Another young man from the Macedonian town of Prilep suffered chest injuries that were reportedly not life-threatening.

Festival organizers insisted Novi Sad authorities thoroughly checked the Petrovaradin fortress site before this year’s festival was set up, Pavlicic told Balkan Insight newswire.

He also said there will be "a severe punishment" for anyone who is found to have been neglectful.

The site is a public park. Before the annual festival, tree specialists investigate and remedy any safety issues that turn up.

Although it hasn’t been possible for Pollstar to get comment from the festival organizers, Pavlicic and Exit chief Bojan Boškovic are known to have visited the scene of the accident the following day.

Reports from the site suggest it was a freak accident, as there had been no high winds and it appears to have been a healthy tree.

The incident marred what had been a very successful year for the award-winning festival, where more than 40,000 per day enjoyed the music and warm weather.

The acts on the July 10-13 bill included Gogol Bordello, Manu Chao, Radio Bemba Soundsystem, Ministry, NERD, Nightwish, The Hives, Paul Weller, Primal Scream, Sex Pistols and The Gossip.