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Worksafe gives Falls Festival the all clear over crowd crush

The organiser of Victoria’s popular Falls Festival will not be prosecuted over a crowd crush that injured more that 70 people.

WorkSafe Victoria says there’s not enough evidence to prosecute Ash Sounds Pty Ltd after more than a dozen people at the popular Lorne music event were hospitalised with broken bones and other serious injuries in December 2016.

“All the conditions imposed by various bodies in relation to the event, such as crowd control, crowd size, and positioning and size of exits, had been met,” WorkSafe said in a statement on Monday.

“As a result, WorkSafe found there was insufficient evidence to establish any offence … and no further action will be taken.”

The crush occurred when a stampede happened between acts in the Grand Theatre on December 30.

A class action was later launched against festival organisers, with one woman caught up in the crush telling AAP she suffered nerve damage to her left arm.

Falls Festival co-producer Jessica Ducrou said the class action meant she was unable to comment on WorkSafe’s findings.

“We want to ensure we don’t do or say anything that will jeopardise the outcome of the class action for those involved,” she said in a statement.

-AAP

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