A catastrophe waiting to happen at a Panama event?

From the Sidelines

It’s hardly a surprise that  a man who is  the biggest-selling a solo artist in the history of classical music and whose recordings have sold over 70 million copies would attract a full house Sunday, April 3, in Panama.

But it is surprising that with so many of the country's  "in" people in attendance, that no concerns have been expressed about lack of emergency controls, according to members of the audience.

Andrea Bocelli, who has been honored around the world, deservedly named  as one of People Magazine’s  50 Most Beautiful People is listed in the Guinness Book of records and is the most popular classical singer in the world, enticed well over  2000 people to his performance at the Figali  Convention Center.

The audience included genuine lovers of classical music, the curious, and the glitterati who always show when the cameras are clicking. They were all treated to his inevitable outstanding performance.

Missing of course were “ordinary” Panamanians who could not afford tickets that in one section ranged in price from a paltry $200 to $700 two month’s pay for a shop worker, or an even longer stint for those in domestic service. Missing too was the man who owns the Figali Center, who was otherwise detained.

One hopes that the $700 seats occupied by some of our elected representatives, were not paid from the government purse, filled by the taxes  of those who could not afford to go.

I have had the good fortune to listen to some of previous reigning opera superstars including Maria Callas, Dame  “La Stupenda” Sutherland and  Pavarotti, all at prices far below those on offer in Panama, although I was once invited to a fund raiser in Toronto organized by the Italian community, where a seat at a table to hear the maestro was $500, and he was a no show.

Which brings me around to a letter from a reader who wrote:

“My wife and I attended the Bocelli concert at Figali last night. Apart from the excellent and enjoyable program, I was amazed, frightened and appalled by the totally inadequate emergency exits, coupled with the use of fences to separate one class of seating from another.

“There were only two small (perhaps 4 feet wide) entrance/exit doors for all those seated in the $200 – $700 seats (I estimate well in excess of 2000 people). The "General Admission" seats in the back (far fewer in number) had a larger exit directy to the rear (street side).

“In addition, the pathways to the "Area A" (higher priced seats) are so narrow and convoluted, that no one could get away quickly from the entrance/exit.

“It is beyond my imagination how such a condition could be allowed to exist for such a long time.”

So is this a major disaster waiting to happen? Would there be even more serious charges to lay against Jean Figali, already awaiting trial for money laundering, or is there some hope that the authorities might take a look at conditions at the place funded, we know not how, until the trial is over?

One local blogger  who didn’t think the concerns merited attention, responded to the reader’s query with the advice: “Be your own lifeguard, because no one else can do a better job."

That’s about on a par with the advice circulated  on some websites during the tsunami warning in Panama recently, telling people to put heavy furniture  or a prop behind the door of the house. Anyone who saw pictures of homes and warehouses being swept away and containers, perhaps destined for shipping to Panama being tossed around like match boxes, would have regarded it as a sick joke.

It’s time for some of our citizen’s groups to apply some practical pressure Cancelling upcoming events until better safety arrangements are in place. Being your own lifeguard is not likely to work in a stampeded when someone calls “fire”. Most people in disasters of that nature, die from the crush as people fight for the exits, not by the fire.

And not only the Figali Center is a potential trap. If you have ever had the fortitude to climb the narrow staircase to the cheap seats at the National Theater, did you wonder how you would get out if there was an emergency?