Madonna visits collapse victims

Madonna has visited the family of a French technician killed in a stage collapse before her gig in Marseilles.

The singer went to the home of Charles Criscenzo in Aix-en-Provence, and also saw three injured workers who are being treated at two Marseilles hospitals.

City mayor Jean-Claude Gaudin praised the pop star for demonstrating "such human qualities".

Thursday's accident, which killed two people and injured eight, has prompted a manslaughter investigation.

Tearful tribute

Charles Prow, a 23-year-old from Headingley, near Leeds, died in hospital as a result of his injuries.

Technicians had been setting up the stage at Marseille's Velodrome stadium when the partially-built roof fell in, bringing down a crane.

Madonna first went to the home of Mr Criscenzo, where a cordon had been set up to keep the media at a distance.

She later went to the Conception hospital to visit a technician who suffered a broken hip.

The star went without an official escort and carried a large bouquet of white roses before going on to a second hospital.

But she was unable to visit the site of the stage collapse where an official investigation is now under way.

Madonna paid a tearful tribute to the accident victims at her concert in Udine, Italy, on Thursday.

Her next tour date is due to take place in Barcelona on Tuesday, while reimbursements for the cancelled Marseilles date are being made available, according to her publicist.

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