Father and daughter watching circus killed in tent collapse

LANCASTER, N.H. --A father and daughter from Vermont were killed in the circus tent collapse in northern New Hampshire that also sent more than 30 people to the hospital, officials said.

At a Tuesday afternoon press conference, New Hampshire Fire Marshal William Degnan said autopsies determined they died of blunt force trauma as a result of the structure coming down during a storm as a performance took place.

They were identified as Robert Young, 41 and his daughter Annabelle, 8.

"It's certainly something that is very disastrous, not only to the local community and the families that are involved, but when you look at it from the standpoint of a child and the child's father that lost their life, is family that is being disrupted forever," Degnan said, according to CBS affiliate WCAX.

The tent was owned by the circus company Waker Bros. International. Degnan said the company was cooperating with an investigation.

At least 100 people were caught in the tent when it collapsed during what Degnan called a "microburst" that knocked down several trees before the incident. The conditions of the injured were unclear Tuesday. No animals were hurt or killed.

The National Weather Service issued a severe thunderstorm warning for the area about 25 minutes prior to the tent's collapse. It is unclear if Walker Bros. tried to halt the show and evacuate the tent. Degnan said interviews are being conducted to find more information from company employees.