How Can Crush Disasters Occur, and How Can They Be Avoided?
Crowd crushes or stampedes are entirely avoidable, predictable, and preventive. Here are some lessons from the October 29th crush disaster in Seoul. On the evening of Saturday, October 29, up to 100,000 people, mostly in their teens and twenties, packed into Itaewon's tiny, sloping alleys for one of the first significant celebrations, Halloween. Chaos broke out just after 10 p.m. on a tiny, steep small street near Itaewon station that leads to a plethora of pubs and clubs from the main road. Pe