Patron Management Institute
Saudi Arabia: Stampede at hajj kills 717 pilgrims
AP, 9/24/15 MINA, Saudi Arabia (AP) — A horrific stampede killed at least 717 pilgrims and injured hundreds more Thursday on the outskirts of the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the deadliest tragedy to strike the annual hajj pilgrimage in more than two decades. Related Stories At least 863 pilgrims were injured in the crush, said the Saudi civil defense directorate, which provided the death toll. The tragedy struck as Muslims around the world marked the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday. It was the second major disaster during this year’s hajj season, raising questions about the adequacy of measures put in place by Saudi authorities to ensure the safety of the roughly 2 million Muslims taking part in the pilgrimage. A crane collapse in Mecca nearly two weeks earlier left 111 people dead. Many of the victims were crushed and trampled to death as they were on their way to perform a symbolic stoning of the devil by throwing pebbles against three stone columns in Mina, a large valley about 5 kilometers (3 miles) from Mecca that has been the site of hajj stampedes in past years. The area houses more than 160,000 tents where pilgrims spend Keep Reading
French Minister calls for tighter security controls
Date: 21 September 2015 Thierry Braillard, France’s Secretary of State for Sport, has called for security measures inside French stadia to be improved ahead of the Uefa Euro 2016 national team tournament in the country after major crowd trouble disrupted a top-tier Ligue 1 football match yesterday (Sunday). The Marseille v Lyon game was interrupted for 23 minutes by spectators throwing bottles onto the pitch at the former’s Stade Velodrome home. Marseille and Lyon are both slated to host games during next summer’s tournament. “It’s unacceptable and I think we need to be firmer on the security checks,” Braillard (pictured) told RTL radio on Monday. “We’re six months away from the Euro, which is a fantastic event, and I’m urging everyone to take lessons from what happened. There are security conditions that need to be respected. You cannot have glass bottles in the stands.” Marseille president Vincent Labrune said on Sunday that the club would “assume its responsibilities” and added today that safety nets would be put up to protect players on the pitch. French football league president Frederic Thiriez said that it was time to consider harsher penalties for such incidents, suggesting that fines of as little as €50,000 Keep Reading
Seeking answers to attacks on high school officials
By Erik Brady and Jim Halley, USA TODAY Sports September 15, 2015 Call the National Association of Sports Officials and a recorded message tells you to press 2 for membership renewal — and 3 for insurance and assault information. That sounds more Saturday Night Live than Friday Night Lights, except that the early part of this high school football season has seemed like open season on officials, most notably in San Antonio. That’s where two players launched themselves into the body of an official this month — video of which has been viewed more than 7 million times on YouTube — and where another player on a different team shoved an official eight days later. “I wouldn’t want to connect those dots and call it a trend,” NASO founder and president Barry Mano told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday. “But it is concerning. What we know is that now, when these things happen, there’s video and everyone can see it.” Video of the blindside hits in the first incident have been played over and over on national news broadcasts. One player hits umpire Robert Watts from behind, knocking him to the ground, and a second player spears him, diving helmet first Keep Reading
49ers Fans Attacking Rival
9/16/15 Only one security guard was able to intervene when a Vikings fan was kicked and punched by multiple 49ers fans on Monday. A video of multiple San Francisco 49ers fans assaulting a Minnesota Vikings fan on the ground outside the 49ers’ Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Monday night went viral this week after a 49ers fan posted it to his Facebook account. In the video, 49ers fans are seen kicking and punching a defenseless man in a Vikings jersey as the crowd around them screams at them to stop. The primary agitator is a man in a Jerry Rice jersey who follows the Vikings fan as he tries to crawl away from the attack. Another man wearing a Patrick Willis jersey and a small woman in a NaVorro Bowman jersey also follow and attack the man as he tries to get away. “The 49ers won! What the hell is wrong with you guys?” a man off-camera can be heard yelling at the people kicking and punching the Vikings fan. A lone security guard, an employee of Landmark Event Staffing, is seen defusing the situation and manages to hold off the 49ers fans long enough for the Vikings Keep Reading
Tent collapse kills one, injures 15 at festival outside Chicago
Reuters, 8/3/2015 One person was killed and at least 15 were injured at a festival outside Chicago on Sunday, when hail and high winds uprooted a tent where revelers had taken shelter from the harsh weather, officials said. Fifteen people were taken to hospital around 2.40 p.m., after the collapse at the city’s annual Prairie Fest, the Wood Dale Police Department said. Others were treated at the site. City resident Steven Nincic, 35, was killed in the incident, which is being investigated, police said. ADVERTISING “Everybody started screaming, and we saw people falling,” said 11-year-old Bella Salgado, who told the Daily Herald newspaper she and her brother rushed to the tent to take cover from the storm. “It was really, really scary.” The city’s website says the four-day annual event offers food, live music, a carnival, and fireworks. The storm system also temporarily shut down the Lollapalooza music festival in downtown Chicago, although event organizers said none of the acts had to be canceled and there were no immediate reports of injuries. (Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Clarence Fernandez) http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/03/us-usa-collapse-illinois-idUSKCN0Q808820150803
Report: 2 dead, 15 hurt in New Hampshire tent collapse
8/4/2015- Yahoo News LANCASTER, N.H. (AP) — A circus tent collapsed when a severe storm raked a northern New Hampshire fairground Monday, killing two people and injuring 15 others, authorities said. WMUR-TV (http://bit.ly/1Hnh5WB ) reported that state Department of Safety spokesman Michael Todd confirmed the fatalities. The accident happened Monday evening at the Lancaster fairgrounds, about 90 miles north of the state capital in Concord. Walker International Events was scheduled to do two shows Monday before moving on to Vermont on Tuesday. The company did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday night. State police say it’s unclear exactly how many people were hurt but up to 250 people were in the tent when it collapsed. Gov. Maggie Hassan said state officials are monitoring the situation. The National Weather Service had issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the area during the time of the collapse. The collapse comes a day after one man died and more than a dozen were injured when a tent where people had sought shelter during a brief storm blew off its moorings and fell on some of the crowd at a festival in a Chicago suburb. The annual celebration known as the Prairie Fest Keep Reading
Power failure at Nats Park caused by faulty circuit breaker
July 18, 2015 WASHINGTON (WUSA9) — The power failure at Nationals Park Friday during the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers was caused by a faulty circuit breaker, according to the Washington Nationals Baseball Club. The Washington Nationals issued the following statement Saturday morning regarding the incident: Our initial investigation indicates the power failure at Nationals Park last night was caused by a faulty circuit breaker. It was replaced shortly after midnight and the lights were tested throughout the night with no additional outages. While we believe we have identified and corrected the issue, additional tests are being conducted by the manufacturer of the field lighting system. The Nationals organization would like to again apologize to our fans for any inconvenience this incident may have caused. Last night’s game against the Los Angeles Dodgers will resume today at 2:05 PM. http://www.wusa9.com/story/news/local/dc/2015/07/18/power-failure-nationals-park/30340405/
Islamic State threat: Isis plotting to use drones to bomb crowds at major British events
ISLAMIC STATE (Isis) are plotting to use toy drones to bomb major events like football matches and music festivals in Britain, it emerged today. By Nick Gutteridge July 24, 2015. Terrorists want to use the unmanned machines – available for as little as £100 on the high street – to drop explosives on large crowds at popular sporting and cultural gatherings. Defence chiefs fear they could launch a multi-drone attack carrying several bombs, even using airborne cameras to film the bloody carnage below for twisted propaganda videos. Senior MI5 figures believed that Isis has already tested how much plastic explosive the flying machines can carry, getting as far as experimenting with detonation devices. A counter-terrorism source said: “Islamist plotters have been trying to launch a drone-borne bomb attack for some time, as these machines are getting more hi-tech every year. “They want the spectacular devastation of such a raid, which would cause murder and maiming in a crowd, while filming it for a sick video. “Isis is obsessed with re-creating the horror of 9/11 and believes this may be possible by launching a multi-drone attack on large numbers of people in a synchronised attack.” Toy drones, which are popular with Keep Reading
Israel vows probe after football ‘riot’ in Belgium
Jerusalem (AFP) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised Friday a probe into a football team noted for racism against Arabs after supporters rioted at a match in Belgium over alleged anti-Jewish taunts. Beitar Jerusalem owner Eli Tabib announced after the Thursday Europa League match was halted in Charleroi that he was “ashamed” by the conduct of an “extremist group of fans” and intended to sell the team. Beitar is notorious for having a core of supporters known for their racist and anti-Arab sentiments, and is the only team in the Israeli league that has never had an Arab player. Thursday’s match was halted after Beitar fans threw smoke flares onto the pitch, reportedly after Charleroi supporters taunted them with Nazi salutes and anti-Semitic and anti-Israeli chants. And Charleroi’s goalkeeper was struck in the head by what Belgium press reports said was a bolt thrown by Beitar fans. There were no arrests, during or after the match which Beitar lost 5-1. Netanyahu said he had spoken with Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan and that the two had agreed to conduct an inquiry into “possible action against the fans who rioted”. “It is good that the decisive majority of Beitar fans Keep Reading
Worker killed in Olympic Stadium fall
Construction Enquirer, Grant Prior | Sun 28th June A 44-year-old worker fell to his death during conversion work on the Olympic Stadium in Stratford on Sunday morning. Police confirmed the victim was a subcontractor on the site where Balfour Beatty is carrying out conversion work. The Metropolitan Police said: “Officers were called to the stadium at 07:30hrs this morning, Sunday, 28 June, to reports of a person having fallen from the Stadium to the ground and being unconscious. “The man was unresponsive when officers arrived at the scene. “The London Ambulance Service attended and the man was pronounced dead shortly before 08:00hrs.” Work was immediately suspended on the site following the tragedy which police said was “non-suspicious” and will now be investigated by the Health and Safety Executive. Balfour Beatty said: “We can confirm there has been a fatality at the former Olympic Stadium site this morning. “We are working with the relevant authorities whilst a full investigation is carried out. All work on site has been stopped. “Our thoughts are with the individual’s family, friends and colleagues.” http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2015/06/28/worker-killed-in-olympic-stadium-fall/