Crazy Stampede in Israel

[MuggsyB]

Awful news at that festival.  And bizzare.  I guess they are investigating how this happened but it may just be a terrible accident.  Still, since they have this celebration every year at that spot you do have to wonder?   Condolences to that community and Israel. 

[MU82]

Dozens dead. Police and the government getting blamed.

Velvel Brevda, a rabbi who witnessed the stampede, accused police of putting up barriers that had prevented people from leaving through exits that were usually open in past years.

"Where should we leave from?" he said. "And the officers who were there couldn't care less."

He said the government was responsible for the deaths of "beautiful holy Jews that were killed here for no reason whatsoever, just to prove a point that they're in charge of this place instead of the Orthodox Jews being in charge."

[MuggsyB]

It sounds like this was a death-trap for years.  Where did you read  this quote that police were preventing them from getting out? 

[Warrior Code]

Just awful. My heart goes out to them. Getting trapped and trampled is one of my biggest fears. I did the Fire Science program at MATC and in the fire inspector class we did a deep dive into the Station Nightclub fire from 2003. Seeing the footage of the crowds desperately pressing toward the exits while an immovable pile of humans blocked their way is seared into my brain.

[forgetful]

Very tragic outcome. But it appears as if there really was no root cause of a stampede, rather just people impatiently trying to get out of an exit and too many people present at once.

I really don't understand, how with no external threats, people couldn't be patient, and literally trampled people to death simply wanting to leave.

[JWags85]

Very tragic outcome. But it appears as if there really was no root cause of a stampede, rather just people impatiently trying to get out of an exit and too many people present at once.

I really don't understand, how with no external threats, people couldn't be patient, and literally trampled people to death simply wanting to leave.

Yep, it was largely impatience and then some unfounded panic once some people fell.  My fiancee's BIL is Israeli and I asked him about it and he said it had a reputation for being a bit chaotic and lacking control.  He also said the blaming of the government was preposterous

[MuggsyB]

Perhaps, but I read that in past years there were 400K at this event and there were 100K a few days ago.

[MU82]

It sounds like this was a death-trap for years.  Where did you read  this quote that police were preventing them from getting out?

I think it was an AP article, but I'm not 100% sure anymore.