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ualbertathrowaway- t1_iuh1bv3 wrote

These dangerous events (crowd crushes/collapses) happen suddenly and without people being aware of it. Here’s a couple tips to mitigate risks and keep yourself alive if you happen to find yourself in one.

  • If going to some kind of public event, stay away from areas that look the most dense with people. If you need to go through one for some reason, try to stay at the periphery of it.

  • If you’re at the point where you can’t escape the crowd, move your arms up to your chest like you’re bracing for a fall. This will help keep some extra space around your chest, helping to allow your lungs to expand.

  • If the crowd crush has just started, there will be moments where the crowd compresses and expands, mimicking a continuous fluid instead of a bunch of individuals. Use the brief windows of expansion to move laterally, do not try and move towards the front or back of the crowd. The fastest and safest exit is most often at the sides of the crowd.

  • If you have children with you keep them as high up as possible

  • Do not try and crawl out. This could easily create a crowd collapse, which is even worse than a crush.

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cmrdgkr t1_iuhjw87 wrote

The unfortunate thing in Korea is that due to the population density and small size of the country, most special events are like this. Things like the annual fireworks, cherry blossoms, and even early days when Ikea opened, it was a nightmare.

People there really wouldn't have had a sense that 'oh this is too many people'. The difference between what would be considered a 'normal' crowd and something leading to a crowd crush/collapse, is really only a small percentage of bodies.

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mangledmonkey t1_iuhopx2 wrote

That's less of the issue than the absolute lack of any safety planning crowd control, or event management since the Itaewon Halloween festivities aren't actually a planned event by any city/neighborhood/government. Korean authorities are very hands off where these unorganized events are concerned and if there was even a fraction of the covid protocols(population control, screening, registration, etc.) being used this would have been avoided entirely.

They should have organized the area into a festival setting with entrance and exit checkpoints and controls a long, long time ago. What a mess. I actively avoided Itaewon during these events because it's just a shit show of massive crowds, usually very drunk, and dirty tight alleyways that get absolutely clogged beyond belief time after time. It's sad to see such a tragic loss that was entirely preventable if even any slight measures would have been taken to manage the crowds that everyone knew were going to be there.

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cmrdgkr t1_iuhpr0j wrote

While that certainly would have helped, the lack of awareness absolutely was a major factor in this happening. In other countries people would have been uncomfortable long before the crowd density reached that level.

Fact is, everyone would feel it was fine to keep doing that simply because they were so used to it and so accustomed to seeing that many people around them all the time at things like this. We've talked to people who have gone to the fireworks before and they've told us that when it was over, getting back into the subway was exactly like this, they felt like they floated down the stairs because there were so many people. We always avoided it because I knew it would be a mess.

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mangledmonkey t1_iuhy81g wrote

Yea, Koreans are pretty abysmal at awareness in a social setting. But, you're charging people with the expectation of crowd mechanics and capacity limitations which isn't really something to be expected from the average person. Imagine you're inside of one of those clubs or restaurants, owners are telling people they're closing and to leave (it was reported that some restaurant owners were closing up and kicking people put and into the crowd without knowing about the size and scope of things outside). And you went when it was busy, certainly, but not like it now is. The last train just let out, a massive crowd from the already busy streets just poured out from the densely packed alleyway restaurants and bars and clubs, and now that pack of new crowd for the final train is coming towards your exit path, and the path behind is also already packed to the gills. Can't go in anywhere, people from the crowd incoming start pushing, from up a narrow and steep hill, down toward you while people behind continue to try to push up. A group uphill heard there was a popular celebrity and are vying yo get to see them down behind where you are at. They push, suddenly, and strongly, and behind you, someone falls on the slippery, littered, and uneven pavement leading up towards the bottom of the alleyway. A few more people trip on them. Suddenly, everyone is completely falling all over each other, and the crowds behind you and above you up the hill don't stop because they physically can't see or feel what's happening. No amount of awareness, aside simply not going, prepares anyone for that. Event planning, safety procedures, and careful organization of large crowds are basically the only thing to prevent these issues at such a scale.

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jandkas t1_iujwycj wrote

> Koreans are pretty abysmal at awareness in a social setting.

Sorry what? Excuse me?

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