What a terrible story.

[Magic Mom]

This must have been terrifying.

Thousands gather in front of a tunnel just before after a mass panic took place at this year's techno-music festival Love Parade in Duisburg, Germany, on Saturday, July 24. At least 18 people died when crowds of people were crushed in a tunnel leading to the event grounds, police said.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38396521/ns/news-picture_stories/displaymode/1247/?beginSlide=1

 

[JerseyJanice]

That photograph is frightening.

What a tragedy.

 

[Rora]

So so sad.

 

[NHdisneylover]

It is truly tragic. The reports I have seen say that attendance was nearly twice what was projected. Police and organizers seemed to have tried to figure out how to handle that huge influx of participants but obviously did not manage to do so--I am not sure what/if they could have with a truly open festival.
We were at a much smaller, but still big, festival yesterday--but that one fences off the entire LARGE park area that it takes place in and has only three (I think) entry points. This allows them to control the crowd level if needed. Even so, we left as the crowds were ramping up--I don't ever want to be anywhere close to that kind of situation. It is truly so very sad.

 

[Keli]

I experienced the panic you feel when you are in a crowd that is being confined one time and I will never forget it.
In reality it never got to the really dangerous level because police saw what was going to happen and took steps to prevent it but from our vantage point we couldn't tell that. We had two children with us and I felt incredible panic that I would not be able to prevent them from being crushed. People were yelling and screaming but eventually, with the police's help, the crowd was slowly eased out of the confined space.
The thing is, it all happens so fast. It's crowed but everyone is moving and then all of the sudden they cannot move any further forward and yet people are still pouring in behind you, unaware that those in front of them are blocked. And in about 1-2 minutes it goes from very crowded to packed tight and getting tighter.