The Halloween crowd crush in the Itaewon neighborhood of Seoul, South Korea on October 29, 2022 that killed 156 people and injured 172 others is an unfortunate incident that could have been prevented, according to crowd experts. The disaster happened as more than 100,000 people were packed at a narrow alley that connects Exit 1 of Itaewon Station with the World Food Street—a street dotted with clubs and bars. As Korean authorities look into how the tragedy unfolded, some say the incident could have been avoided, or at least partly controlled.
The Itaewon Halloween festival has been a much-anticipated event, and authorities know that a large crowd would gather in the area, as it was the first Halloween event in three years to be held without pandemic restrictions.
Although there were more than 100,000 revelers celebrating the first outdoor no-mask Halloween festivities since the pandemic, South Korean authorities said they had no guidelines to handle the huge crowds that gathered for the event. “District events held by local governments or institutions have to have safety plans and measures if more than 1,000 people are expected to participate. But this was a district event without a specific organizer, lacking the safety control function,” said professor Lee Young-ju from the Department of Fire and Disaster at the University of Seoul.
Investigations into what caused the tragedy are still ongoing. But social- media posts from the scene suggest that the narrow street became so packed with revelers. As more people arrive, they moved forward and had no idea that people were being crushed in another part of the crowd.
A crowd crush can occur when too many people push into a confined area. The people trapped in a crowd surge will experience unrelenting pressure from all sides. The pressure often increases gradually, and by the time they realize they are in danger, it’s too late. There is no way to escape. They may get squeezed so hard that they can’t even draw a breath. If anyone falls to the ground, there will be no room to get up. Pileups can happen, and that leaves anyone underneath at risk of asphyxiation.
Paul Wertheimer, one of the world’s leaders on crowd safety, gave his expert insight into crowd control, crowd dynamics and staying safe in a worldnomads.com article. His survival tips: Stay on your feet. Conserve energy—don’t push against the crowd and don’t yell or scream. Use sign language to communicate with those around you (point, wave, even use your eyes). Keep your hands up by your chest, like a boxer—it allows you movement and protects your chest. If you’re in danger, ask people to crowd surf you out. If someone extends their hand for help, grab hold to keep them up.
Our natural reflex when pushed is to resist the pressure and push back. In a crowd crush, however, resisting will be a waste of precious energy. Instead, let yourself be carried by the flow while always retaining your balance. The only time when this tip does not apply is if you are next to a wall, fence or other solid object you can’t climb up. The first victims of a crush are often pinned against barriers. If possible, move away from walls, pillars and fences.
In a channelnewsasia.com commentary, Professor John Drury of the University of Sussex said organizers would benefit from understanding some basic crowd psychology. “There are different ways of doing this, but I would recommend communicating with the public both before the event and on the day to get them to understand the reasons for the restriction. People in a crowd don’t usually understand the risks of density until they are right in the middle of it, so it’s a good idea to explain this carefully and in advance,” he said.
The Itaewon crowd crush leaves a valuable lesson for organizers of big events so that tragedies like this may not happen again. Crowd experts say when people swarm in an event, there’s a need to use barriers to separate crowds. Crowd separation is crucial in preventing crowd crush. Venues should be organized in such a way as to prevent too many people from converging in one place. This can be done by sectioning off standing-room-only areas to prevent crowd surges.