Punked by God and Gravity
In the forthcoming Last Days column, I refer to the phenomenon of ridiculous death, those instances of fatal horror so terrible and perverse they register as something close to comedy.
Last night I was reminded there still exist things beyond the reach of such humor, as this BBC report makes clear.
Not-so-long story short: Yesterday in Uruguay, thousands of people gathered to watch a taping of the television show A Challenge to the Heart, in which contestants raise money for local charities by completing challenges set by the network. Today’s charity was a hospital in the town of Young, and the challenge required contestants to maneuver a train a certain distance down railway tracks. Maybe it was wind, or an incline, but somehow, as contestants pushed and pulled the train and its two carriages, the train gained speed, running over a number of contestants, injuring eleven, killing eight. Limbs were severed, and the accident was witnessed by nearly 3,000 schoolchildren.
“Local authorities have declared three days of mourning,” reports the BBC.
Full story here.
Who do we blame? Japan, or America?
Regardless, this won't be funny for at least ten years.
Oh, how a hardened heart breaks.