Berlin/Duisberg 01-08-2010
The festival meant to celebrate love became a tragedy this year for so many. Party goers had anticipated one of the best night of their lives, and for many it became the worst.
In Berlin the mood on July 24 was sombre, anxious and disturbed after news cascaded around the world of the events unfolding at the Loveparade.
Many people knew someone who was at the rave and tried desperately to reach them. Out of 1 million festival goers, 21 died and over 500 were injured. Not to mention the mental trauma experienced by all not even directly involved in the mass panic that broke out.
At a rave it’s not uncommon for many people to indulge in various drugs – imagine a tunnel full of people in such a state, pushed so close together they end up in piles.
To exacerbate the tragedy, it was entirely preventable. Thanks to poor planning, Duisburg was chosen to host the festival this year, despite being a small city of 300,000.
One entrance lead through a tunnel for over 1 million expected people. This was also meant to serve as the exit.
An eyewitness involved in the mass panic that crushed others to death around her wrote about her experience for an online news site.
She says of her experience in the tunnel after the tumult began, ‘Suddenly there came a violent shove from behind, so that we had to struggle to stay on our feet. My friend’s hand slid away, I screamed loudly, tried to get those behind me to calm down, but the panic grew bigger.’
She and her friends eventually all made it to safety – but not before coming face to face with a dead body.
On one of the popular party websites in Berlin -Rest Realitaet- – many users commented they could not go out that night after hearing about what occurred.
The mood in Berlin was just too dark after the Loveparade has reached a permanent end, much like 21 people did in a tunnel en-route to it.
For German link to events at Loveparade 2010 ;
http://www.global-talk.org/gesellschaft/4785-augenzeugenbericht-loveparade-duisburg.html
Tags: Berlin, duisburg, festival, love parade, loveparade, mass panic, rave
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