German researchers help make public events safer
Insights from a German study into the factors leading to stampedes in crowds are helping public authorities to make mass gatherings safer. Researchers from Dresden University of Technology analysed video recordings of the stampede that occurred at the annual Muslim pilgrimage, the Hajj, in Saudi Arabia in 2006. Some 348 pilgrims lost their lives when crowds converged on the Jamarat Bridge to participate in a ritual stoning of the devil. Using a computer algorithm, the researchers measured the speed and directional movement of the crowds leading up to and during the stampede. They noticed that as the crowd thickened, the flow of people decreased. Then, as the pilgrims approached the bridge, instead of flowing steadily, the crowd began to move in waves, with individuals repeatedly stopping and starting. At this stage, pilgrims began to panic and move in different directions, causing what the researchers called 'crowd turbulence'. This caused shock waves, which literally lifted pilgrims out of their shoes and propelled them several metres forward. Due to the pushing and jostling, pilgrims stumbled in the crowd, and due to the dense crowd flow, were unable to get back up again. The study showed that the fatalities occurred 10 minutes after the start of the 'crowd turbulence' and 30 minutes following the onset of the 'stop&start' phase. Based on these insights, the researchers have drawn up a list recommendations to help the organisers of the Hajj event improve crowd control and offset further tragic incidents.
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