Want to know how people die in stampedes? The entire world is in shock as 150 people have been killed in a stampede at a Halloween event in Seoul, South Korea. Given the severity of the situation, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has also taken to social media and condoled the loss of lives while stating India stands in solidarity with South Korea during this difficult time.
Not only that, but following the Stampede, the South Korean flag at the Embassy in Delhi flew at half-mast to the harrowing stampede incident in Seoul. South Korea’s president Yoon Suk-yeol has further assured all about a thorough investigation into one of the country’s worst-ever disasters.
Let us take a look at all the details and lesser-known facts to know how did people die in Stampede.
How did people die in Stampede?
People die in stampedes mainly due to asphyxiation incidents where the individuals in the crowd are violently crushed to such an extent that they run out of breath and eventually die. This kind of fatal accident can happen either when bodies are being vertically stacked on top of each other, which is trampled or when bodies are being horizontally stacked against an unmoving barrier.
While people struggle to get up, the situations often get worst, with their arms and legs all getting twisted together. The deathly situation how has been explained well by Keith Still, who is a visiting professor of crowd science at the University of Suffolk in England, who explains how it takes 30 seconds before one loses consciousness, and almost around about six minutes, one is into compressive or restrictive asphyxia. Keith describes it as the attributed cause of death, which is not crushing, but suffocation.
How to Survive A Stampede?
If you are stuck in a large crowd, and you feel like things might lead to chaos, Try to find a solid structure or a car so that you can avoid falling under the sea of crowd trying to get out of that place. Stay on your feet and try to stay as calm as possible. Don’t scream, and stay as far from the dense crowd as possible. Evaluate your surroundings and stay patient as people try to get out.
What Happened in South Korea?
In a shocking turn of events, South Korea became the place of a deathly accident. At least 149 people died, and 150 were injured in a stampede at a market in the capital Seoul, where officials have reported how a massive crowd had gathered for Halloween festivities.
As the Stampede has taken everyone in shock and so many lives are homes, all the Police and firemen can be seen trying to revive people who had gone into cardiac arrest amid chaos in narrow streets. The crowd, which is reportedly several, around 100,000, had gathered on Saturday night in Itaewon for the Halloween festival. It is a busy area in the central district of the megacity, which has hundreds of shops and party places.
Raphael Rashid, a freelance journalist, has given further information about the Stampede, saying that there were “tens of thousands of people, which is the most he has ever seen. It was further added that there were so many people to the point they were being crushed on the pavement.
Several Videos Resurface About The Itaewon Incident!
The entire world is taken by shock and horror as several clips showed how the crowds in Itaewon were jammed so tight that these people could barely move while a few managed to climb out to safety. People got to witness some harrowing scenes that included a long line of victims in bodybags on the pavement.
People can be seen in a helpless situation while trying to steeply slope alleyway, which eventually became a death trap as the crowd surged forward, with the people at the front falling over and finally trampled by the person behind.
Some video clips have also resurfaced on Twitter, showing rescuers desperately tugging at people to extract them from that crowd that was jammed tight. A female eyewitness has stated that a short person like herself could not even breathe, while further adding that she had survived as she was at the edge of the alleyway, with people in the middle suffering the most. Raphael Rashid also stated that no one understood what was going on.