What began as music festival spawned from a peace rally quickly turned to madness leaving 19 dead and hundreds injured.
As hundreds of thousands convened at Love Parade, Germany’s largest techno festival, tragedy struck, as overcrowding in a tunnel to the festival grounds turned to chaos. Police are still unsure what caused the 500-600 yard tunnel to become the center of a stampede.
According to one eyewitness, “At some point the column (of people) got stuck, probably because everything was closed up front, and we saw that the first people were already lying on the ground… Others climbed up the walls and tried somehow to get into the grounds from the side, and the people in the crowd that moved up simply ran over those who were lying on the ground.”
Another involved in the melee commented on partygoers’ attempts to escape to safety. “Others climbed up the walls and tried somehow to get into the grounds from the side, and the people in the crowd that moved up simply ran over those who were lying on the ground.”
The majority of attendees had no idea what was going on due to the sheer size of Love Parade. The festival will continue to go on in spite of what transpired.
Our prayers are with the victims, their families and friends.
Sources: BBC News, AP Writers Michael Sohn and Vanessa Gera, Houston Chronicle Online AP Stories, OfficialDJTiina1
One Response