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Religious Crowd Deaths: Stampedes & Crushes

ramonmercado

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Published online: 19 January 2007; | doi:10.1038/news070115-13

Crowd researchers make pilgrimage safer
The science of pedestrian motion meets the annual Hajj in Mecca.
Philip Ball

The annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, known as the Hajj, has on occasion been marred by deaths from trampling in the huge crowds that gather for the rituals. But scientists studying how pedestrians move around think they have made such crowd disasters much less likely.

In 2006, 362 people died in the crush that developed in the town of Mina, where pilgrims gather to perform a ritual stoning of pillars representing the devil as part of the Hajj. This year's ritual, which happened in late December and early January, went off without incident. Although there have been plenty of other accident-free years, this time the reason owes more to sound planning than to luck, says Dirk Helbing of the Dresden University of Technology in Germany. Hebling and his coworkers used the science of crowd dynamics to introduce a raft of new crowd-control measures.

"This Hajj, in contrast to many previous ones, was very safe, without any panics or incidents, even though it was expected to be the most critical ever and there were about 800,000 more pilgrims than the expected 3 million," he says. "This great success was due to a completely different organization of pilgrim flows."

Easing congestion

The activity in Mina, about four miles from Mecca, centres on the ritual stoning of three pillars known as the jamarat, which draws huge crowds. To ease congestion problems, the old pillars have been replaced by larger, elliptical ones, and a building called the Jamarat Bridge gives pilgrims two tiers of access to the jamarat. But as the number of pilgrims has increased steadily over the years, even these precautions have not prevented disasters.

Last year, after being consulted by the government on how to improve crowd safety, Helbing and his colleagues were allowed to analyse video recordings of the crowd at Mina. "The Saudis invested a lot of money in putting up cameras to gather data," he says.

Helbing and his co-workers had previously analysed how people move past each other in corridors or intersections, and how jams may occur when many people try to exit quickly through a single door. These effects, which can be mimicked in simple computer models where the people are represented as moving particles that repel one another, can account for how some tragedies happen when a crowd panics.

But their work on the 2006 Hajj showed a totally new type of behaviour, Helbing and colleagues report in a paper on the arXiv preprint server1.

Pilgrims directed along one-way routes can follow the flow, avoiding dangerous crush points.


As the mêlée thickened, first the throng stopped passing steadily onto the bridge and instead moved in waves, so that individuals would be repeatedly stopping and starting. But then, as the crowd became even denser, it changed to another mode in which clumps of people were jostled in all directions, apparently at random and against their wish to move steadily towards the jamarat.

"Pilgrims were being pushed around," says Helbing. If they stumbled and didn't get back on their feet quickly enough, they were trampled. The movements look like those in a fluid when it becomes turbulent, which hasn't been seen before in human motion.

Re-routed

Helbing says that there are warning signs for the development of this type of behaviour. For a given point on the route, for example, the average number of people passing per minute falls below a critical threshold up to half an hour before turbulence sets in.

For the 2007 Hajj, Helbing consulted with the Saudi authorities to plan a new route and schedule that pilgrims would be compelled to follow, rather than meandering at will to the jamarat. "All 1.5 million registered pilgrims got a timetable and a route in order to distribute them uniformly in space and time," says Helbing. In case the more-than-a-million unregistered participants confounded this plan, they also had the capacity to use real-time data from surveillance cameras to alter the schedule, guided by their models of crowd behaviour. That capacity wasn't needed this year, but the scheme is in place for future.

"The science was very important," says Salim Al Bosta, a civil engineer at the Saudi Ministry of Municipal and Rural Affairs in Riyadh, who managed the consultation exercise. "We learnt a lot about how to organize the flow from the crowd simulations."

Helbing says that several of the new measures were controversial, with some experts worrying it would make things worse. But the scheme was a success. An important step was to introduce a one-way system, with roads designated only for walkers coming from the stoning back to the camp. "Last year you had to push a lot to get to the camp," says Helbing. "This year you could comfortably follow the stream all the way. Everyone was very happy." Al Bosta agrees, saying that the new organization was "very effective."

Helbing says that most of the critical organizational measures are now in place, so that future years should be safer. Moreover, from next year on, the Jamarat Bridge will have more floors, easing the flow even more. "Now other experts can take over," he says.

He confesses that he was nervous about taking on such a high-risk project, where lives were clearly at stake. But in the end he worried that the danger of doing nothing was even greater. "Could I feel comfortable if people had died and I'd declined to help?" he says. "It was a matter of responsibility."
References
Helbing D., et al. preprint available at http://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0701203.

Story from [email protected]:
http://news.nature.com//news/2007/070115/070115-13.html
 
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Stampedes have taken place in the past at Hindu, Islamic and perhaps other religious gatherings. Its unlikely that this will be the last such case; hence the need for this thread.

Ghana stampede kills four at at TB Joshua's church
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-22595573

Some of the wounded are in a critical condition in hospital

Police say they were overwhelmed by the large crowd when a stampede killed four people at a church in Ghana's capital, Accra, on Sunday.

Thousands of people flocked to the evangelical church for "holy water", which they believed had healing powers, leading to the crush.

"All of us were caught by surprise. No-one knew the crowd will be so huge," said police spokesman Freeman Tetteh.

The church is run by prominent Nigerian preacher TB Joshua.

He is one of the wealthiest and most popular evangelical clerics in Africa and his Synagogue Church of All Nations claims it can perform miracles, such as curing blindness.

'Devastated'
Continue reading the main story

Start Quote

People from the back, they pushed... and they fell on us”

Gertrude Sumbamala
Survivor
Mr Tetteh told the BBC's Newsday programme there was a larger than expected crowd at the service after church officials announced that "holy water" would be given to worshippers.

"The church was also caught by surprise... Nobody can apportion blame [at this stage]," he said.

"We need to investigate and establish responsibility."

Some of the wounded were in a critical condition in hospital, Mr Tetteh said.

The stampede took place when people at the back of the church began to push to get to the altar, AFP news agency reports.

"The crowd surged forward and became uncontrollable," Mr Tetteh told the BBC.

One worshipper, Gertrude Sumbamala said she had suffered a broken leg after being caught up in the stampede, AFP reports.

"People from the back, they pushed... and they fell on us. So we were battered by a lot of forces," Ms Sumbamala is quoted as saying.

The church's Rev Sam McCaanan told local radio station Citi News that the stampede was regrettable.

"We are devastated, it's very unfortunate and we are very sorry," he is quoted as saying.
 
Stampeding...like cattle....
 
India temple stampede in Madhya Pradesh 'kills 60'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24512150

Timeline: Deadliest stampedes

At least 60 pilgrims have been killed in a stampede near a Hindu temple in central India, police have said.

Thousands had gathered at the Ratangarh temple, about 60km (37 miles) from Datia town in Madhya Pradesh state, for a religious festival.

Panic broke out as crowds of pilgrims tried to cross a bridge on the Sindh river, near the shrine.

Most of the victims were killed in the stampede, while others drowned after jumping off the bridge.

Local devotee Atul Chaudhary, who survived the crush, told BBC Hindi there were a couple of thousand people on the bridge.

Continue reading the main story
Analysis

image of Anbarasan Ethirajan
Anbarasan Ethirajan
BBC News
Deadly stampedes are common during India's often chaotic religious festivals. Most of the incidents are blamed on poor crowd control techniques and planning by the authorities.

Indian religious festivals often attract hundreds of thousands of people, sometimes even millions as in the case of the Kumbh Mela festival in Uttar Pradesh. It's a challenge for the authorities to build tents, erect makeshift bridges, and install sanitation facilities. Often there are few first aid or medical facilities.

The Indian bureaucracy and security forces are ill-equipped and too under-staffed to manage such mega events. Pilgrims are sometimes in a hurry to finish their prayers and get home early. On occasions rumours of an accident or a bridge collapse have also triggered stampedes. Repeated accidents of this kind only show that no lessons have been learnt.

He heard screams, and people began rushing to get off the bridge.

"Several people could be seen flattened to the ground in the midst of the melee," he said.

"Some of the youngsters panicked and jumped into the swollen river.

"I and my friends were close to the exit point and along with several others ran for safety. Scores of others were not so lucky."

Local police chief DK Arya told local media that the stampede was probably sparked by a rumour that the bridge could collapse.

Other reports suggested that police used batons to control the crowd.

The narrow bridge is about 500m long, and had only recently been rebuilt following another stampede in 2007.

Mr Arya said at least 60 people had been killed, and about 100 wounded people had been taken to a hospital in Datia.

Emergency crews and specialist divers were still searching the river for bodies.

Local official Sanket Bhondve said the immediate priority was to provide relief to those injured.

The accident happened at about 09:00 (03:30 GMT), but information was slow to emerge because the temple is in a remote area with erratic mobile-phone coverage.

Hindu festivals in India are notorious for deadly stampedes.

In the past year, dozens have died in three similar tragedies.

In 2011 more than 100 died at a festival in the southern state of Kerala.

Inside Jodhpur's Mehrangarh Fort, more than 220 people were killed in 2008 in a stampede at the Chamunda Devi Hindu temple.
 
Church stampede in Anambra, Nigeria, 'kills 17'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-24792688

At least 17 people have been killed and many more injured in a stampede at the end of a religious vigil in eastern Nigeria, officials say.

More than 100,000 people were said to have gathered at the venue of the incident, the Holy Ghost Adoration Ground in Anambra State.

Local media say that the death toll could be higher.

Anambra governor Peter Obi had been at the event and later returned to visit the injured in hospital.

The stampede took place at about 06:00 (05:00 GMT) on Saturday.

Anambra is about 300km (185 miles) south of Abuja.

"We have visited the hospital in Nkpor and found 17 corpses that were brought in from the scene of the disaster," spokesman Mike Udah told
 
Fourteen dead in mosque crush in China's Ningxia region
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-25617676

Members of China's the Hui ethnic group, who are mostly Muslim, in the Ningxia region

The Chinese-speaking Hui ethnic group in Ningxia are mostly Muslim

Fourteen people have been killed and 10 injured in stampede at mosque in China's northwest Ningxia region, according to state media.

It happened as traditional food was being handed out at an event to commemorate a religious leader, Xinhua news agency said.

An investigation is underway into the cause of the stampede in Xiji town, 60km (35 miles) west of Guyuan city.

Four of the injured were in critical condition, the reports said.

The incident is said to have occurred at about 13:00 local time (05:00 GMT) on Sunday.

The Hui ethnic group - who mostly inhabit the region - are one of a number of Muslim minority groups in China.
 
Funeral stampede kills 18 in Indian city of Mumbai
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-25790752

The stampede happened as mourners gathered for the funeral of Muslim spiritual leader Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin

At least 18 people have been killed and more than 40 injured in a stampede in India's western city of Mumbai.

Local officials say the incident happened when thousands of mourners gathered at the home of a Muslim spiritual leader who died on Friday.

Reports suggest people were crushed after the gates of the house where the body of Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin were kept were closed.

The leader of the Dawoodi Bohra community died aged 102.

The community are Ismaili Shias.

The deceased leader's funeral is expected later on Saturday.

Hundreds of people across India have died in similar tragedies in recent years.

In October, 115 people were crushed in a stampede at a Hindu festival in the central state of Madhya Pradesh.

In 2011 more than 100 died at a festival in the southern state of Kerala.

Inside Jodhpur's Mehrangarh Fort, more than 220 people were killed in 2008 in a stampede at the Chamunda Devi Hindu temple.
 
Guinea concert stampede 'kills 34'

At least 34 people have reportedly died in a stampede in Guinea, during a concert marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The president's office declared a week of national mourning for what it called a "tragic drama" at the concert by the Guinean rap group Instinct Killers.

Dozens of people were injured, said police sources quoted by AFP.

The concert took place on Tuesday evening on a beach in Ratoma, a northern suburb of the capital Conakry.

A medical source at Donka hospital in the capital told Reuters that the number of injured continued to rise.

"There are currently 34 bodies in the morgue. The list of injured keeps growing," the source said. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-28558081
 
At least 32 people were killed in a stampede during a Hindu festival in the eastern Indian state of Bihar yesterday, most of them women and a few children, the state police chief said. A huge crowd had gathered at an outdoor venue in the state capital, Patna, for the burning of effigies at dusk, part of the Dusshera festival.

Officials said the stampede happened as people were leaving at the end of the event. TV channels quoted a witness as saying there were not enough lights when the ceremony ended.

At least 15 injured people were taken to hospital, the police chief, PK Thakur, said. Police are examining CCTV to determine what had triggered the stampede. “There was very little police presence and there were vendors who had put up their stalls at the exit gates, making it more difficult to leave,” a witness told NDTV.

A police superintendent said some people reported that had they heard that a live electric wire had fallen on the ground.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/as ... -1.1952406
 
The only time I got involved in stampedes was when the bell went at the end of the school day.
 
There was that time when I drove 100 pandas through Woolworths as a distraction to nick five bob's worth of pick'n'mix.
Turned out to be too much trouble in the end.
 
Eleven people have been killed in a stampede after a religious service in a stadium in Zimbabwe, police say. Four people died in the stadium in the central town of Kwekwe, while seven others were declared dead on arrival in hospital, they say.

The stampede occurred as thousands of worshippers rushed to leave after the service by popular Pentecostal preacher Walter Magaya.

He claims to be able to heal people by performing miracles. ...

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-30141535

He can't be very good at curing crush injuries.
 
HYDERABAD, India (AP) — At least 27 people were killed and dozens injured Tuesday in a stampede during a Hindu religious bathing festival on a river bank in southern India.

The stampede occurred in Andhra Pradesh state as tens of thousands of people pushed forward to bathe in the Godavari River on the first day of the Pushkaralu festival, said Arun Kumar, a state administrator.

The stampede was triggered by some pilgrims who were trying to retrieve their shoes, which had fallen off in the rush to the river bank, police said.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/07/14/india-religious-festival-stampede/30121609/
 
A mouse is responsible for triggering a stampede in a mosque in the Moroccan city of Casablanca which left more than 80 people injured, officials say.

The rush happened in the city's Hassan II mosque, which was full of worshippers on Monday evening.

It was the holiest night of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, the Moroccan news agency reported.

It quoted officials as saying that the injured were mostly women who suffered light injuries and fractures.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33542870
 
At least 10 people have been killed and 20 injured in a stampede at a temple in the eastern Indian state of Jharkhand, officials say.

Pilgrims have been marking a Hindu religious festival in Deoghar town.

It happened as pilgrims tried to make their way into the complex, a district official told BBC Hindi.

Deadly stampedes are common during Indian religious festivals, which attract large crowds with few safety measures in place.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-33844083
 
At least 717 people taking part in the Hajj pilgrimage have been killed in a stampede near the Islamic holy city of Mecca, officials in Saudi Arabia say.

Another 863 people were injured in the incident at Mina, which occurred as two million pilgrims were taking part in the Hajj's last major rite.

They converge on Mina to throw stones at pillars representing the devil.

Preparations for the Hajj were marred when a crane collapsed at Mecca's Grand Mosque this month, killing 109 people.

It is the deadliest incident to occur during the Hajj in 25 years.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middl...ng&ns_source=twitter&ns_linkname=news_central
 
The Muslim aversion to alcohol is not a notion which survives much observant lingering in the aisles of a supermarket.

Maybe they avoid the smaller local shops which sell the same poison but have stern uncles behind the counter?

Of course the Saudis are a righteous people . . . o_O
 
Dozens have been killed and injured in Ethiopia's Oromia region after security forces confronted protesters at a festival, witnesses say.

Some people died in a panicked stampede after police employed tear gas, rubber bullets and baton charges, they said.

Thousands had gathered for a religious festival in Bishoftu, 40km (25 miles) from the capital Addis Ababa.

Some reports said police responded after anti-government protesters threw stones and bottles.

Others said demonstrators were entirely peaceful.

Ethiopia's government said 52 people were killed in the stampede.

Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn blamed "evil forces" for the deaths in a national address on state TV.

He said rioters had caused "pre-planned mayhem" that led people to fall to their deaths in ravines. He vowed to bring to justice those responsible.

The prime minister denied reports that the security forces had opened fire, and praised their "great efforts" to protect the public.

An Oromo activist, Jawar Mohamed, was earlier quoted as saying that nearly 300 people had been killed and many more injured. He said troops and a helicopter gunship had opened fire, driving people off a cliff and into a lake.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-37534387

Vid and images at link.
 
Absolutely nothing to do with Islam of course.

Leaflet 'handed out at east London mosque' tells Muslims to kill all who insult the prophet
Police today launched a hate crime probe after literature saying those who insult Islam “must be killed” was allegedly handed out at a London mosque.

A Standard investigation has uncovered claims that the booklet, which says “any Muslim should kill” those who insult the Prophet Mohammed, was distributed at a gathering in Walthamstow.

It points to a classical manual of Islamic law to justify killings without waiting for court judgments and says apostates “deserve to be assassinated”.

The booklet discusses the case of Mumtaz Qadri, a fanatic who murdered a governor in Pakistan in 2011 because of his support for liberal reforms to the country’s strict Islamic laws.

It says “all Muslims should support” Qadri and that being a “big shot” does not prevent someone from being an apostate who should face being killed. ...

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/crim...kill-all-who-insult-the-prophet-a3363446.html
 
CHANDAULI/NEW DELHI: At least 24 people were killed in a stampede+ at Rajghat bridge on the border of Varanasi and Chandauli where a large number of people had gathered for a religious event on Saturday afternoon.

The incident took place when thousands of followers of religious leader Jai Gurudevwere on their way to Domri village on the banks of the Ganga to take part in the two-day camp, police said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...aos-claim-organisers/articleshow/54868907.cms
 
Another stampede.

BAGHDAD (AP) — A walkway collapsed and set off a stampede in the holy city of Karbala on Tuesday as thousands of Shiite Muslims marked one of the most solemn holy days of the year. At least 31 people were killed and about 100 were injured, officials said.

It was the deadliest stampede in recent history during Ashoura commemorations, when hundreds of thousands of people converge on the city, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, for the occasion every year.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/karb...pmgnews__TheMorningEmail__091219&guccounter=1
 
I’m currently dreading the oncoming feast of St.Michael of Halloween. Here in the UK, those tubs of chocolates have got shallower with no discernible price drop as far as I can see so I have to spend more to placate the little trick or treat buggers.
 
Another stampede.

BAGHDAD (AP) — A walkway collapsed and set off a stampede in the holy city of Karbala on Tuesday as thousands of Shiite Muslims marked one of the most solemn holy days of the year. At least 31 people were killed and about 100 were injured, officials said.

It was the deadliest stampede in recent history during Ashoura commemorations, when hundreds of thousands of people converge on the city, some 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, for the occasion every year.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/karb...pmgnews__TheMorningEmail__091219&guccounter=1

You could say it’s almost as if.... nah. Not going there.
 
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