Editor’s note: The events described in this story are fictional and took place as part of Centennial College’s annual mock disaster simulation.
Chaos erupted in Toronto on Wednesday after a powerful tornado tore through the city during an unprecedented heatwave, leaving destruction in its wake. A packed electronic dance music (EDM) concert turned into a disaster zone, sending panicked, intoxicated attendees scrambling for safety.
Just moments later, a soccer stadium collapsed nearby, trapping spectators under rubble and sending family members into a frenzy. Elsewhere in the city, a bus carrying convicts overturned and an apartment building collapsed, leaving dozens injured and at least one dead, according to Kathy McCormack, a supervisor at the 911 communication centre.
First responders — paramedics, police, and firefighters — rushed into action, navigating the unfolding catastrophe as they battled to save lives.
“ I was here with my friend Roy, we were just at an EDM concert, and a lot of people got attacked. I don’t know what’s happening right now, and now all the first responders are here. We don’t know what to do,” Cavaughn Mitchell said Budweiser Stage, where the EDM concert had been taking place.
Many attendees were intoxicated when the tornado struck the venue, complicating emergency response efforts.
Just a few moments later. the nearby soccer stadium collapsed. Devin Khan, an attendee of the soccer match said up to eight people were trapped in the rubble.
“ What just happened is we had a tornado that came through the soccer stadium and it’s a heat wave and my husband and kids are still stuck under the tarp,” Khan said.
The Toronto Observer watched at least six victims being carried out of the stadium on stretchers.
Meanwhile, massive gusts of wind caused a bus transporting prisoners from one location to another to crash into cars; at least one convict escaped.
“ We’re just looking for the suspect. We have no information right now,” said Toronto police officer Alvin Shrestha. “We just know they had a tattoo on their hand and a scar on their face.”
Firefighters also worked to rescue victims who were stuck at the bottom of a staircase connecting the first and second floors of the Centennial College Morningside campus.
The victims were making their way down the staircase as they tripped and fell down, resulting in injuries which rendered them immobilized.
Firefighter Jordan Piggott described the situation as a rescue operation, with an engine crew and a rescue crew working in unison to hoist the patients to safety using cables and harnesses.
“ By using a lot of knots, ropes and harnesses in conjunction with the whole fire team we hope to rescue this patient to safety using a basket with rope and all of our manpower,” he said.
By 2 p.m., at least 12 patients had reached the emergency ward from the scenes of various disasters. Nurses and doctors worked vigorously to ensure all patients got treated appropriately.
“ Three different calls have been cleared. The stadium has been cleared, the music venue has been cleared and so has the person who was barricaded,” said McCormack, the 911 operator.
