Tragedy struck the biggest event in dance music. At least 19 people were killed and more than 350 people were injured in a stampede in a tunnel at the Love Parade in Germany. Details are sketchy but it appears a massive crowd overwhelmed the organizers and a panic ensued. No one is quite sure why the stampede took place but people are already questioning why there was only one entrance for the crowd. I’m a massive dance music fan and I think it’s really a sad situation that could have been prevented with proper planning and execution. The organizer of the event has already announced that no more Love Parades will take place. My thoughts and well wishes go out to the family and friends of the people killed at the event.

Here’s some snippets of articles on the tragedy and what exactly happened:

The Love Parade disaster occurred on 24 July 2010, when 19 people were killed during a human crush in Duisburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, at the Love Parade 2010 electronic music festival with the slogan “The Art of Love”. At least another 342 people were injured.

The Love Parade was a popular and free access electronic dance music festival and parade that originated in 1989 in Berlin, Germany. The parade features stages, but is well known for its floats with music, DJs and dancers moving through the audience. This was the first edition of the festival that was organised in a closed-off festival area.[citation needed] Up to 1.4 million people were reported to be attending the event and 1,200 police were on hand.

The event was one of the program elements of RUHR.2010, whereby cultural events in the Ruhr area are highlighted, because the Ruhr is this year’s European Capital of Culture.

The event was staged in an old industrial railway station. The capacity of the enclosed location was limited to 500,000 people at most, but at least one million visitors were expected, based on the experience of previous years. Commentators in Der Westen, a local newspaper, had warned of impending disaster two days before the event.

Entrance was granted at 14:00 CEST (12:00 UTC). Between 100,000 and 200,000 people per hour entered the location through the 20 m wide tunnel. The 200 to 300 metre-long tunnel was the only entrance and exit point of the festival area.[7] Around 17:00, just before the final act of the day was to begin, the tunnel became overcrowded and a panic occurred.

The parade area reportedly had become overcrowded and police at the entrance began announcing over loudspeakers that new arrivals should turn around and head back. The side of the tunnel that was the entry of the parade area was closed, but people continued to enter the tunnel from the rear, despite being told it was closed. A stampede occurred as the tunnel became overcrowded.

Police chose not to close down the event, fearing that doing so could spark another panic. The nearby highway A59 was closed down and functioned as an access route for emergency services.

Among the 19 casualties (11 women and 8 men) 11 were reported to be Germans, two Spanish women aged 21 and 22 years and a 38 year old Chinese woman living in Germany, a 22 year old man from the Netherlands, a 21 year old woman from Italy, one person from Bosnia-Herzegovina, and a 27 year old woman from Australia.16 of them died in the facility, the other 3 in hospital. They were aged between 18 and 38 years. The German police and State’s Attorney (Staatsanwaltschaft) have opened an official criminal investigation.

During a press conference on 25 July, organiser Rainer Schaller stated that there would never again be another Love Parade, out of respect for those who lost their lives. “The Love Parade has always been a joyful and peaceful party, but in future would always be overshadowed by yesterday’s events” he stated.

The Duisburg prosecutors office is investigating negligent homicide, but they have not named who their investigation targets are.

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