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Stampede at Soccer Match in Iraq Leaves Two Dead, Dozens Injured
Andy Berg Jan 19, 2023 A stampede outside a stadium in Iraq, has left at least two people dead and dozens more injured, according to ABC News. Fans were gathered outside the Basra International Stadium to attend the final match in the first international soccer tournament held in the country in four decades. Iraq’s Interior Ministry in a statement had urged people who didn’t have tickets for the match to leave the stadium area, saying that the facility was full and all the gate had been closed. Large screen had reportedly been placed in different public places in Basra to allow people to watch the match. ABC reported that the tournament, which started on January 6, faced several incidents, including chaos inside the VIP section during which a Kuwaiti prince was not able to attend the opening match earlier this month. The final match in the eight-nation Arabian Gulf Cup is scheduled to be held later Thursday between Iraq and Oman. https://www.athleticbusiness.com/operations/safety-security/article/15305714/stampede-at-soccer-match-in-iraq-leaves-two-dead-dozens-injured?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ATHLCD230119002&utm_term=&oly_enc_id=0795F0391467A9T
High School Postpones Athletic Events Following Boys’ Basketball Brawl
Paul Steinbach Jan 19, 2023 The Middletown (Conn.) Public Schools district postponed all home athletic events Wednesday after a fight broke out at the end of Tuesday’s varsity boys’ basketball game against Weaver High School. As reported by NBC affiliate WVIT in New Britain, the school district said the decision was made out of an abundance of caution, and that athletic events are planned to resume on Thursday. School officials said the district administration and the Middletown Police Department were made aware of a rumor of a threat of retaliation, which police deemed was unsubstantiated. An investigation is underway into the fight, as are several other measures, WVIT reported. Superintendent Vázquez Matos activated the high school’s crisis team and has placed additional staff at the high school to support students and teachers. The Middletown Police Department will have an increased presence at Middletown High School through the end of the week. School officials are urging students and families to immediately tell a trusted adult, a school administrator and/or the Middletown Police Department immediately if they hear or see something concerning. District and school administrators, along with the Middletown Police Department, quickly controlled the situation Tuesday night and one minor staff Keep Reading
Police, Match Officials on Trial Related to Deadly Soccer Stadium Stampede
Tabatha Wethal Jan 17, 2023 Kanjuruhan Stadium By Nur Cholis, CC BY-SA 3.0 Police officers and match officials in Indonesia are on trial this week in connection with a stadium stampede that killed more than 100 people in October. Al Jazeera reported that three officers and two officials are being tried on charges of negligence over their alleged roles last year in the deaths of 135 people at a football match in East Java. According to the report, they each are facing a maximum prison sentence of five years if convicted over the disaster, one of the world’s worst stadium stampedes. The trial, which began on Monday, is being held via teleconference due to security concerns, said court spokesperson Agung Pranata. On Oct. 1, police fired tear gas inside Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang, where fans had run onto the pitch after Arema FC, the home team, lost its match. Al Jazeera reported that there were not any supporters from rival Persebaya Surabaya because of previous crowd issues. Amid the clouds of smoke, panicked people rushed for the exits, some of which were locked. Police described the incident as a riot and said two officers were killed, but survivors accused them Keep Reading
Belgium Seeks to Control Fan Violence With New Laws
Andy Berg Jan 17, 2023 Authorities in Belgium are looking for new ways to handle fan violence at soccer matches, as a record number of fans have been banned from stadiums for bad behavior over the past year. The sanctions “are a clear signal that bad behavior has no place in our soccer stadiums,” Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden said Tuesday, according to The Seattle Times. According to the ministry’s figures, as reported by the Times, “the number of citations submitted by police during the 2021-22 season was not significantly higher than in 2018-2019 prior to the coronavirus outbreak, but the penalties were tougher. During the 2021-22 season, stadium bans for individual fans added up to a total of 22,037 months, almost double the 2018-2019 total of 11,229 months.” The total amount of fines also increased significantly, from 540,525 euros ($585,000) to 910,250 euros ($985,000). Ministry officials have met in recent months with league and club officials to draft a new law aimed at reducing incidents. The Belgian government seeks to tighten access to stadiums and keep violent individuals away. It would also like to punish clubs for not complying with regulations on ticket sales or if they fail to take Keep Reading
State Farm Stadium Wrestles With Fire Code Violations Ahead of Super Bowl
State Farm Stadium Wrestles With Fire Code Violations Ahead of Super Bowl Andy Berg Jan 17, 2023 As State Farm Stadium preps to host next month’s Super Bowl, facility operators are tasked with fixing numerous fire code violations at the Glendale, Ariz., venue. An ABC15 investigation in September looked at 190 inspections of the stadium over a five-year period. The investigation found the State Farm failed 87 inspections, amounting to a 46 percent failure rate. Some of the inspections saw 20 or more violations, even though just one violation can result in a failure. In September, stadium manager Andy Gorchov told ABC15 that the problems would be fixed in a more timely manner and expressed hope that future inspections would see improved scores. That doesn’t appear to be the case given that ABC15 obtained state fire inspections for August through December 2022, which found that State Farm Stadium failed 19 of 27 inspections, a 70 percent failure rate that is higher than the five-year average. Nevertheless, the new investigation found that many of the violations were fixed either on the spot or within days of the visit. “Before we really wasn’t [sic] closing the loop on that,” said state Fire Keep Reading
South Korean police blame deadly Seoul stampede on negligence
1/13/2023, 6:08:36 AM The special team in charge of the investigation concluded that there had been enormous failures, both at the level of the organization and the reaction on the ground. The deadly stampede that killed more than 150 people in Seoul on Halloween last year was due to negligence and lack of preparation, a South Korean police investigation concluded on Friday. The victims of this tragedy in the Itaewon district, known for its nightlife, were mostly young Koreans in costume, including many women in their twenties. “Their plans were insufficient” The special team in charge of the investigation, which spent months gathering evidence and questioning the authorities concerned, concluded that there had been enormous failures, both at the level of the organization and the reaction on the ground. ” Organizations that are legally bound to prevent and manage disasters — the police, Seoul district offices, and the public company Seoul Metro — did not take any security measures in advance or their plans were insufficient ,” team leader Sohn Jae-han told reporters. Read alsoHalloween drama in Seoul: how can a crowd movement cause so many deaths? ” No appropriate action was taken even after receiving the emergency calls ” Keep Reading
Slippery Surfaces, Injuries Reported at SoFi During College Football Championship
Andy Berg Jan 11, 2023 The experience for fans who crowded into a rainy SoFi Stadium for the College National Championship Monday night was reportedly less than ideal. While the venue has a roof, NBC Sports reported that “there are gaps” and the rain blew sideways, and people got wet. That may not sound like the worst scenario for a sporting event, but NBC also reported that people slipped on surfaces covered with rainwater. Some were even injured. Videos on social media showed concourse floors with puddles and people being wheeled out on stretchers as workers attempted to mop up the water. NBC suggested that problems were so egregious that SoFi should immediately order a full study of all surfaces within the multibillion-dollar facility. “If a new covering is needed to minimize the possibility of slipping and falling, it should be selected and implemented as soon as possible,” wrote Mike Florio of NBC Sports. “Beyond the liability and customer-service realities, it’s a basic matter of right and wrong.” https://www.athleticbusiness.com/facilities/stadium-arena/article/15305358/slippery-surfaces-injuries-reported-at-sofi-during-college-football-championship?utm_source=Newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=ATHLCD230113002&utm_term=&oly_enc_id=0795F0391467A9T
2nd Woman Dies After Asake Concert Crush at London’s Brixton Academy
2nd Woman Dies After Asake Concert Crush at London’s Brixton Academy Gabrielle Hutchinson, 23, was working as a security guard at the venue. 12/19/2022 Brixton’s 02 Academy is cordoned by police off on December 16, 2022 at the Brixton O2 Academy in London, England. Dan Kitwood/GI A second person has died after a crush at a London concert venue last week, British police said Monday (Dec. 19). Gabrielle Hutchinson, 23, was working as a security guard at the O2 Brixton Academy, where Nigerian singer Asake was due to perform Thursday. Hutchinson was one of eight people hospitalized after being caught in mayhem at the venue, and died on Monday, the Metropolitan Police force said. Crush at Asake Concert in London Leaves Several Fans in Critical Condition 12/19/2022 Rebecca Ikumelo, 33, died on Saturday morning. A 21-year-old woman remains in critical condition. All three were in the foyer of the concert hall when they were caught up in a throng of people. The police force said emergency services were called to reports of a large crowd and people trying to force their way into the venue. The force said detectives were reviewing security camera and phone footage, speaking to witnesses and conducting Keep Reading
Stampede during New Year’s event in Uganda kills at least 9
Stampede during New Year’s event in Uganda kills at least 9 RISDEL KASASIRA Sun, January 1, 2023 at 5:42 AM CST KAMPALA, Uganda (AP) — A stampede during New Year’s celebrations at a popular mall in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, left at least nine people dead, including children, police said Sunday. The stampede happened at the Freedom City Mall in Namasuba suburb as revelers rushed to watch fireworks. The Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, Luke Owoyesigyire, said the incident appeared to have occurred at midnight “when an event emcee encouraged attendees to go outside and watch a fireworks display.” The Katwe Territorial Police are “investigating an incident of rash (behavior) and neglect” according to an official statement. No arrests have been made so far. Police said five people died at the scene and four others died of their injuries at the hospital where they had been taken for treatment. There was no immediate information on other injured people. The police said the bodies had been taken to the city mortuary in Mulago. The shopping mall is a popular venue for music concerts and new year celebrations. https://www.yahoo.com/news/stampede-during-years-event-uganda-114203792.html
Crush kills at least 151 at Halloween festivities in Seoul
Crush kills at least 151 at Halloween festivities in Seoul KIM TONG-HYUNG and HYUNG-JIN KIM Sat, October 29, 2022 at 10:19 AM SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A mass of mostly young people among tens of thousands who gathered to celebrate Halloween in Seoul became trapped and crushed as the crowd surged into a narrow alley, killing at least 151 people and injuring 82 others in South Korea’s worst disaster in years. Emergency workers and pedestrians desperately performed CPR on people lying in the streets after the crush in the capital’s nightlife district of Itaewon on Saturday night. Those killed or hurt were mostly teens and people in their 20s, according to Choi Seong-beom, chief of Seoul’s Yongsan fire department. The dead included 19 foreigners, he said, whose nationalities weren’t immediately released. The death toll could rise further as 19 of those injured were in critical condition. An estimated 100,000 people had gathered in Itaewon for the country’s biggest outdoor Halloween festivities since the pandemic began and strict rules on gatherings were enforced. The South Korean government eased COVID-19 restrictions in recent months and this was the first big chance to get out and party for many young people. While Keep Reading