The air is taken from your chest like your breath has been stolen. You move against your will,
and your palms are sweaty. It’s dizzying, dangerous, and deadly–it’s a crowd crush (And no, that doesn’t mean someone in the crowd that you like).
Crowd crushes happen when a group of people is tightly packed to the point that no one in the area can move, which makes escaping death by suffocation difficult. Previously trampled bodies contribute to exit blockage, thus further limiting movement inside the area. The most common injury and death during a crowd crush is compressive asphyxia, in which the victim is pushed against other people so tightly that their airways constrict. Victims can suffocate while standing or be trampled and suffocate under the weight of others. Despite common belief, the term “crowd crush” is not interchangeable with a “stampede” because a stampede implies that people have space to run.
With 2023 starting the year off with many concerts from artists such as Harry Styles, Enhypen, Blackpink, and the like–it poses danger for crowd crushes to happen. Here are a few ways to ensure that your only crowd crush experience is seeing your crush in the crowd.
COME PREPARED
Before going to a big event, search for the place on Google and familiarize yourself with the layout–remember which narrow places to avoid and memorize all the entrances and exits. Furthermore, know how to identify if an area is already becoming overcrowded. Crowd density can be easily estimated by observation. If you have no physical contact with people around you, the density is safe. If you are bumping against one or two people around you, the crowd density is 4-5 people per square meter, which stays inside the recommended prescription for a safe crowd density. If you can’t freely move your hands, there are too many people.
STAY ALERT
It’s important to look in front of and behind you. The earliest warning of a crowd crush is the absence of control measures (barriers, signs, loudspeakers, organizers, police officers, etc.). Be aware of your situation at all times and be on the lookout for alternate exits like windows
and fire exits. If there are people on all four sides of you, it’s best to move to a different area
to be safe.
PROTECT YOURSELF
During a crowd crush, CGTN America recommends, “Keep your hands at your chest, like a boxer, this protects your rib cage and keeps a space around your lungs so you can breathe. If
you fall, curl into a ball and cover your head. Do not push at the crowd, even if you are pushed.” They further note that a brief lull happens after a big push, which is the best time to move diagonally or zig-zag between pockets of people.
In the heat of the moment, it is information like this that might save your life one day.
Written by Tara Mohammad,
photos from NPR, The Hindu
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