Jenni Lee visited with the brother of the only victim from Austin and the last survivor pulled out.
A university system regent has sought input from the victims’ families about restoring the tradition, which was suspended after the 1999 tragedy.Building the Aggie bonfire was once among the most prized student traditions at Texas A&M University. That changed when the 60-foot stack of logs fell and killed 12 people in 1999, becoming one of the most painful chapters in the university’s history.
“The members of the committee and I are extremely sensitive to your loss. I do not want to reopen the many wounds that you have but it is important to me to have your opinion,” Bellinger wrote in the letter, asking to meet with the families. In the early hours of Nov. 18, 1999, the stack of more than 6,000 logs that students had assembled that year toppled. Twelve people, 11 students and one former student, died and dozens more were injured, some severely. Those who survived An investigation into the 1999 collapse, conducted by an independent commission at the order of the Texas A&M administration, found flawed construction led by unqualified student workers caused the wreckage.
“This bonfire has minimal oversight of safety measures and there is a concern that even though this is not a university-sanctioned event, it still involves several hundred TAMU students who could potentially be at risk,” said Bellinger, identifying himself in the letter as a father to a son who once helped build the off-campus bonfire.
Bellinger reached out to the families of all 12 people who died in the 1999 disaster. As of January, Bellinger had visited with six of the families, three of which gave him the OK to restart the tradition, according to committee meeting notes.
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