At least 19 people were trampled to death on their way to the Love Parade techno music festival in Duisburg, Germany. The festival-goers were crushed in a tunnel on their way to festival grounds, according to police. At least 19 people died after a stampede broke out at the Love Parade techno music festival in the western German city of Duisburg on Saturday. Authorities in Duisburg scheduled a press conference for Sunday to detail the cause of the mass panic. The tragedy occurred in a tunnel on the way to the festival grounds as police were trying to prevent people from entering the overcrowded site. Thousands of fans had been walking along a hundred-meter pathway toward the festival for several hours. In interviews with German media, eyewitnesses questioned the safety of the 200-meter (650-foot) long and 30-meter wide tunnel that served as the Love Parade's main access. There was also some concern ahead of the festival that Duisburg's former railway freight yard would not be able to accommodate all the party-goers. In an interview with Der Westen, organizers said the venue could hold up to 500,000 people. Some 1.4 million people were estimated to have attended the event, about 200,000 less than the previous year's Love Parade in Dortmund.
At least 19 people died after a stampede broke out at the Love Parade techno music festival in the western German city of Duisburg on Saturday. Authorities in Duisburg scheduled a press conference for Sunday to detail the cause of the mass panic.
The tragedy occurred in a tunnel on the way to the festival grounds as police were trying to prevent people from entering the overcrowded site. Thousands of fans had been walking along a hundred-meter pathway toward the festival for several hours.
In interviews with German media, eyewitnesses questioned the safety of the 200-meter (650-foot) long and 30-meter wide tunnel that served as the Love Parade's main access.
There was also some concern ahead of the festival that Duisburg's former railway freight yard would not be able to accommodate all the party-goers. In an interview with Der Westen, organizers said the venue could hold up to 500,000 people. Some 1.4 million people were estimated to have attended the event, about 200,000 less than the previous year's Love Parade in Dortmund.
German officials confirmed on Sunday that 19 people died and 342 were injured during the mass panic that turned Saturday's Love Parade in Duisburg into a tragedy. Prosecutors have launched an investigation, with initial questions focusing on the organizers' crowd control strategy. In 1989, the Love Parade started in Berlin as a peace demonstration. On Saturday, the festival, held in Duisburg since 2007, ended in disaster when a mass panic resulted in the deaths of 19 partygoers. A further 340 were injured in the stampede. The deaths took place as partygoers were pushing through a highway underpass leading to the festival grounds, the only entrance to the party for the 1.4 million people in attendance. According to some accounts, organizers at one point closed the entrance to the party venue, a former freight train station, for an hour but did not prevent more people from streaming into the tunnel. The resulting crush of people fueled both tempers and the resulting panic.
German officials confirmed on Sunday that 19 people died and 342 were injured during the mass panic that turned Saturday's Love Parade in Duisburg into a tragedy. Prosecutors have launched an investigation, with initial questions focusing on the organizers' crowd control strategy.
In 1989, the Love Parade started in Berlin as a peace demonstration. On Saturday, the festival, held in Duisburg since 2007, ended in disaster when a mass panic resulted in the deaths of 19 partygoers. A further 340 were injured in the stampede.
The deaths took place as partygoers were pushing through a highway underpass leading to the festival grounds, the only entrance to the party for the 1.4 million people in attendance. According to some accounts, organizers at one point closed the entrance to the party venue, a former freight train station, for an hour but did not prevent more people from streaming into the tunnel. The resulting crush of people fueled both tempers and the resulting panic.
