On 16 January 1982 a temporary spectator terrace collapsed during a crowded cricket match, killing and injuring a significant number of people. Contemporary reports and later summaries indicate the structure failed under the weight and movement of spectators, producing a sudden collapse that trapped and threw people to the ground. Setting and immediate effects The incident occurred during an inter-club cricket fixture attended by large, standing crowds on makeshift terraces. Eyewitness accounts at the time described a section of the terrace giving way without much warning; spectators fell several feet to the ground below. Emergency services and bystanders worked to free those trapped beneath debris and to render first aid. Local hospitals received many casualties, and authorities declared a major incident to coordinate rescue and medical response. Casualties and responses Reports from the period indicate multiple fatalities and dozens of injuries; exact numbers vary between contemporary news accounts. The disaster prompted rapid local investigation into what caused the structural failure and immediate measures to prevent similar collapses, such as removing or reinforcing temporary viewing structures and restricting terrace crowding at other venues. Investigations and safety implications Inquiries focused on several recurring issues: the adequacy and construction of temporary terraces, the load they were expected to bear, and crowd-control measures in place that day. Where documented, findings pointed to overloading and insufficient structural supports as key factors. The collapse contributed to renewed scrutiny of spectator safety at sporting events, reinforcing calls for clearer building standards for temporary structures and stricter enforcement of capacity limits. Legacy Though this incident is less widely remembered than some larger-scale stadium disasters, it forms part of a broader pattern of events in the late 20th century that exposed vulnerabilities in crowd management and temporary stadium infrastructure. It helped inform subsequent guidance and regulations aimed at preventing terrace and temporary-stand failures, and remains a reference point in discussions of how to protect spectators at sports and public events. Notes on sources and uncertainties Contemporary newspaper reports and local records document the collapse and its immediate aftermath, but precise casualty figures and some technical details about the terrace’s construction are inconsistent across sources. Where definitive archival engineering reports or court findings exist, they provide the most reliable detail; otherwise summaries rely on contemporary journalism and later safety reviews.