360 degrees: Stampedes - The saga of mishaps
Basic understanding of individual safety & risk of human stampedes must be developed
As thousands perish in stampedes, officials fail to enforce National Disaster Management Authority guidelines as was evident in the Pushkar ghat-1 incident in Rajahmundry.
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Read: Disaster still Lurks by Faisel T Illiyas
Forced waiting in queues for long hours, loss of individual physical space, seeing free movement of VIPs when others are in queue and intentional acts may negatively influence the crowd. Also, a basic understanding of individual safety and risk of human stampedes must be developed among people planning to attend a mass event
Also read: Malls ill-equipped to meet emergencies by Dr Shibu K Mani
Though post-9/11, disaster management plan has included terror attacks as a major hazard in malls and shopping complexes, evacuation and safety plans are mainly limited to metros. There are no uniform safety guidelines for shopping malls yet
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There is a false belief that taking a holy dip in the river on the first day of the festival will be more auspicious. It’s the same as taking dip on any other day - Swamy Swaroopanand, Sankaracharya of Dwarka
A list of deadly stampedes in India -
| Year | Place | Death | Injured |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Maha Pushkaralu: Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh | 27 | 50 |
| 2014 | Mumbai: People gathered to pay last respect to Dawoodi Bohra spiritual leader | 18 | 56 |
| 2014 | Patna: People had gathered for Dussehra celebrations | 32 | 15 |
| 2013 | Kumbh Mela: Stampede broke out after a railing on a footbridge collapsed | 37 | 48 |
| 2013 | Madhya Pradesh: Rumour that a bridge is about to collapse | 115 | 110 |
| 2011 | Sabarimala: Stampede broke out after a jeep toppled over | 102 | 50 |
| 2008 | Jodhpur: A stampede occurred on September 30 at the Chamunda Devi temple | 224 | 425 |
| 2005 | Chennai: Flood-hit had gathered for relief material | 48 | 49 |
| 1999 | Sabarimala: Collapse of sides of a hillock had triggered the stampede | 53 | NA |
| 1994 | Nagpur: People from the Gowari community demanding reservation were stopped mid-way | 114 | 500 |
| 1954 | Kumbh Mela | 800 | 2000 |
Factors that trigger stampedes
- Rush and Surge of people: People try to enter into a special place for better view/participation in functions which results in jostling, suffocation, failure of confining walls, barriers and gates
- Accidents: Collapse of temporary or permanent structures, accidents on bridges, vehicle accidents also leads to a stampede
- Natural or human-induced hazards: Slope failure, heavy rain and slippery surfaces, fire, intentional acts
- Rumours: Spread of rumour about an accident, terror attack, stampede or a calamity near to the venue, distribution of free goods