From time to time, we hear phrases such as “confluence at the concert, stampede at the discount store” in the news. Confluence, that is, overcrowding, can sometimes become very dangerous. The latest Halloween stampede in South Korea was the subject of the news.
Images from Korea reveal the dimensions of the disaster. Trapped people and rescue work open the way for us to see the horror. At least 151 people were killed in a stampede created by people heading to Seoul’s popular entertainment district Itaweon for the first Halloween event since the pandemic ended.
rescue work
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The crowd in Taewon
Top view of people stuck in crowd
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Moments when the crowd is out of breath
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How can we protect ourselves from stampedes?
So how can we protect ourselves in a stampede? How can we prevent entertainment in stadiums, concerts, festivals from ending in disaster? Here are some steps we can follow.
- Step 1: Check your surroundings
- Step 2: Go to a high place
- Step 3: Get your guard up to protect your torso
- Step 4: keep calm
- Step 5: Keep moving
- Step 6: Move diagonally
- Step 7: Help each other
- Step 8: If you drop something, let it go
- Step 9: There are things you can do if you fall
Step 1: Check your surroundings
Look for emergency exits and alternative exits when you go to busy and crowded places before the panic begins. So you know what to do to leave the area quickly when you need it, you don’t have to look for an exit.
Step 2: Go to a high place
Chasing the crowds will take you to places where the congestion is even more intense. Instead of being stuck and dragged among people, go to a high place and evaluate the situation. In addition, if there is no immediate threat such as fire or earthquake, you can take shelter in places such as on top of cars.
Step 3: Get your guard up to protect your torso
Keep your guard up like you’re at a boxing match. It is vital in a stampede to keep your vitals from being crushed, not pinched, and maintain momentum. So get your guard up.
Step 4: keep calm
According to experts, people are more likely to die from lack of oxygen in stampedes than they are to die by being crushed. Resist the herd mentality by focusing instead of shouting and pushing. Thus, you save your energy for the necessary moments.
Step 5: Keep moving
It is often impossible to stand up to the energy of crowds. If you stay where you stand, the crowd will crush or squeeze you. Keep moving at the same pace as the crowd. What you need to be careful here is not to go to the wall or the barrier.
Step 6: Move diagonally
Crowd control expert Paul Wertheimer proposes what he calls the accordion method. Crowds move in waves. Advance diagonally each time the waves stop.
Step 7: Help each other
According to studies on crowd control, the way to stop tragedies is to help people help each other. The panic subsides as everyone stops to help each other.
Step 8: If you drop something, let it go
At stampedes, some people drop their phones or wallets and then try to get them. Even only 6-7 people can apply 500 kilograms of force. It really isn’t worth facing and risking the power of the crowd. Let your fallen stuff stay there.
Step 9: There are things you can do if you fall
If you fall, you have to try to get up as quickly as possible. If you can’t get up, crawl towards the exit. If you can’t do that either, take the fetal position and protect your head with your hands.
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