19 dead, 400 injured at German Love Parade

[Boblobla]

Did a quick search for this and couldn't see it anywhere.

My wife, her cousin and I were at this event and were enjoying a milkshake before we decided to go into the concert. While we were having our milkshake was when the deaths occurred. I have never seen anything like this, there were ambulances coming and going from everywhere and noone had any idea what was going on.

We asked a cop where to go for the show and he said it was being shut down because someone had died.

http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/eu...id=aeBzPHJFeyJ

The death toll from the stampede at the festival is at 19, police in Duisburg, Germany, said Sunday. Duisburg's Senior Mayor Adolf Sauerland said 340 festival goers were injured Saturday when chaos broke out at the "Love Parade 2010." Police have said as many as 400 were injured.
The deadly crush happened in an underpass between the main event site and the expansion area. Witnesses told CNN affiliate NTV that people pushed into the tunnel from both sides until it was dangerously overcrowded. The panic began as festival-goers began to lose consciousness as they were crushed against the walls and each other.

It was a pretty crazy scene.

[MRCboicgy]

Not feelin' the love, eh?

Seriously though, really, how does that happen?

[Displaced Flames fan]

I can't imagine a worse feeling than being crushed in a sea of people and not being able to do a damn thing about it. Scary.

[Pinner]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

Seriously though, really, how does that happen?

It happens when people are treated like cattle.

[rockstar]

Originally Posted by MRCboicgy

Not feelin' the love, eh?

Seriously though, really, how does that happen?

Poor planning.

One entrance (a narrow tunnel, to be exact), and an area all together too small for the 1.4 million people who showed up. I'm disappointed in the Germans, frankly.

Really unfortunate and terribly sad for those involved and their families. Bob, glad you guys made it out safe.

I went to the LP in Berlin in 2006 and it was great. Now there will be no more Love Parades (the event has been cancelled).

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by Displaced Flames fan

I can't imagine a worse feeling than being crushed in a sea of people and not being able to do a damn thing about it. Scary.

I complained to the Flames about their stupidity in allowing Sportsnet Ontario to put their pregame show for a Leafs game a couple years ago on the concourse behind section 105, creating a choke point and a crush of people. That was only a couple hundred people at any given time and the danger was evident to everyone but the idiot who allowed that to happen.

Something on this scale though having just one entrance, and a tunnel at that? Stupid, stupid, stupid. According to the Herald, the head of the festival has said it will not be held again after this - I would suggest that even if they wanted to, it will end as a result of wrongful death lawsuits and criminal charges.

[Huntingwhale]

There are plenty of questions that need answering. Why was the tunnel the only entrance and exit to the site of the party? Why were there no emergency exits? Was the security plan for the event adequate? According to information received by SPIEGEL ONLINE, officials had planned for a maximum of 500,000 people. Instead, more than a million showed up -- with just 1,200 police to provide security. The debate is just beginning.

http://www.spiegel.de/international/...708402,00.html

Wow, if true that is some pretty poor planning on the promotors part. Seriously? Only 1 entrace/exit? They have been putting on this party for years without incident.

http://www.spiegel.de/fotostrecke/fo...cke-57501.html => Some photos

[3 Justin 3]

So people were squished to death in essence? Wtf, that sucks.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by 3 Justin 3

So people were squished to death in essence? Wtf, that sucks.

yup, and trampled from what I have read. Pretty messed up.

[Roast Beef]

1.4 million people? I can't even imagine 1.5 times the population of Calgary trying to go to a concert. The fact that only 19 people died is a miracle.

[Lego Man]

I was at the love parade, my fiancé and I walked through that tunnel probably just 30 min before it happened. At that time we each had enough room to stretch out our arms and not touch anyone. Although right before we were allowed to enter the tunnel we had to wait behind a gate and we were so crowded that we were unable to move the hands that were stuck to our sides. If some one had room, they could stab us and we would not have enough room to look at the wound. After we got in to the love parade it was actually very amazing. Awesome music and very peacefull for 1.4 million visitors. We didn't hear of the deaths from people until probably six hours after it happened. David guetta, the finale dj set was cancelled, I thought another riot/ stampede was about to occur.

[mykalberta]

Any idea what started the stampede. I only caught a brief description of it on saturday morning on bbc but I thought they said early reports blamed Nazis?

[Azure]

The pictures are pretty insane. Extremely poor planning by whoever was in charge of setting up the parade.