More than 400 people died in October in a series of crowd-related disasters in Asia, when a bridge packed with revellers collapsed in India, Halloween partiers were crushed in South Korea's capital, and spectators fled a stadium in Indonesia after police fired tear gas.
The dynamics in the three situations were distinct, though experts say poor planning and crowd management contributed to the disasters in Indonesia and South Korea. In India, authorities are investigating whether the recently repaired bridge was properly inspected.In Seoul, 156 people died when more than 100,000 flocked to the popular nightlife district of Itaewon on Saturday for Halloween celebrations, the first since the country's strict COVID-19 restrictions were lifted.
It is well documented that when crowd densities reach the levels estimated at the Itaewon celebration, people will fall, triggering a domino effect, said Haghani, who has studied more than 275 such crowd-related tragedies dating back to 1902.Seoul authorities have been criticized for having 137 officers on hand Saturday to deal with such a large crowd. Officials regularly dispatch many more police to control protests in the capital.
More important than additional police, South Korean authorities could have employed crowd-control experts to monitor the flow of people and prevented the area from getting as packed as it did, he said. Soehatman Ramli, chairman of Indonesia's World Safety Organization, told The Associated Press that the case showed what can occur without a proper risk management plan and courses of action in case of emergency.
Authorities have removed the police chiefs of East Java province and Malang district and suspended other officers over violations of professional ethics.
Philippines Latest News, Philippines Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
ASK AMY: Sisters’ divergent paths lead to judgmentDear Amy: My older sister and I have taken different paths in life.
Read more »
K-pop singer Lee Ji-han killed in Seoul crowd surgeLee Ji\u002Dhan was killed in the crowd surge tragedy in South Korea over the weekend.
Read more »
K-pop singer Lee Ji-han killed in Seoul crowd surgeLee Ji\u002Dhan was killed in the crowd surge tragedy in South Korea over the weekend.
Read more »
Toronto Korean association invites public to pay respects to Itaewon tragedy victimsPeople wanting to pay their respects to the victims of South Korea’s Itaewon tragedy and their families are invited stop by the Korean Canadian Cultural Association (KCCA) of Metropolitan Toronto.
Read more »
For first time in months, Greater Victoria real estate sales have gone upThe number of month-over-month sales increased in October — an uptick real estate agents could feel happening says the president of the Greater Victoria Real Estate Board.
Read more »