The Dangers of Mass Crowd Panic. October 2018

The Dangers of Mass Crowd Panic

Recent incidents of mass crowd panic triggered by false reports of gunfire highlight the need for the
public to maintain situational awareness and follow guidelines to ensure personal safety. The National
Capital Region’s (NCR) crowded transit hubs—handling over 500,000 commuters daily—and large-scale special events that draw thousands of attendees present potential risks for crowd panic situations.

•        This past weekend at the Global Citizen Festival in Central Park, New York City, thousands of concert-goers rushed to exit the outdoor venue after false reports of gunshots. Law enforcement quickly notified the crowd to remain calm and that the noise was a barrier fence that fell.

•        On August 26, two people were injured in Little Rock, Arkansas, after being trampled when 38,000 spectators began to flee from perceived ‘gunshots’ at the 2018 Salt Bowl football game. Spectators jumped over partitions onto the field to escape the perceived threat.

•        In April 2017, 16 people were injured during a stampede in New York City’s Penn Station following a false report of gunfire. The noise that caused the panic was found to be a taser used by an NYPD law enforcement officer.

•        In August 2016, mass crowd panics at JFK airport in New York and LAX airport in Los Angeles prompted travelers to flee terminals onto the tarmac. In both cases, loud noises were mistaken for gunshots. No injuries were reported in either incident. 

Public safety experts say false-alarm panic situations are as serious as real threats because fear can trigger crowds to stampede. The following tips are helpful guidelines for NCR residents and visitors to follow to stay safe in a panicked crowd situation.   

    

	What to Do in a Crowd of Panicking People
•	Pick a “meet up” point with family and friends prior to an event;
•	Stay in communication with family and friends;
•	Remain calm and do not panic in the event of a panicked crowd situation;
•	Move with the crowd to avoid being trampled and injured;
•	Find shelter or cover, if possible; • Find non-traditional escape routes and avoid choke point exits; and •Work your way to the edges of a panicked crowd, where there are less people

Red Cross volunteers injured during Ebola burial in Democratic Republic of the Congo

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PRESS RELEASE

Red Cross volunteers injured during Ebola burial in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Two of the volunteers were seriously wounded and are now receiving medical care for their injuries

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo, October 4, 2018/ -- Three Red Cross volunteers were injured Tuesday (2 October) when they were attacked while carrying out a safe and dignified burial in the city of Butembo in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Two of the volunteers were seriously wounded and are now receiving medical care for their injuries. DRC Red Cross teams have faced incidents of violence and aggression from communities resisting safe burial protocols since the start of the Ebola outbreak in North Kivu. In September, one Red Cross volunteer was injured when people threw stones at a vehicle transporting a safe burial team. However, Tuesday’s attack has been the most violent incidence of community resistance to date. Dr Fatoumata Nafo-Traoré, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies’ (IFRC) Regional Director for Africa said: “This is an awful reminder of the dangers that these volunteer safe and dignified burials teams face. While we categorically denounce the attack on our colleagues, we understand the fear and frustration that many communities in North Kivu feel right now. People are scared and there are many rumours circulating that only serve to heighten the sense of fear and distrust.” The body of a person who has died from Ebola is highly infectious and if not handled properly can contaminate others. In previous Ebola outbreaks, these safe and dignified burials have been critical to stopping the spread of the disease. “Every day, our teams are doing what they can to build trust, to provide information, and to help people understand the risk that Ebola presents. They can do this because they come from these communities themselves. They speak the language and understand the customs and traditional beliefs,” said IFRC’s Dr Nafo-Traoré. The Red Cross has dispatched trained specialists to Butembo to provide immediate psychosocial support to those impacted and is working to improve the safety and security of volunteers. Grégoire Mateso Mbuta, the President of the Red Cross of the DRC said: “We call upon the communities in North Kivu to cooperate with volunteers and health workers who are giving their time to ensure that communities are protected from the Ebola outbreak. Local volunteers are critical to stopping the spread of disease.” Since the beginning of the outbreak, more than 180 specially trained Red Cross safe and dignified burial volunteers have carried out 162 burials in North Kivu. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) SOURCE International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)