Recently, a tragic crowd crush at the Maha Kumbh claimed the lives of 30 people.

Crowd Crush Disasters

• Global Issue: Crowd disasters have occurred frequently worldwide at religious pilgrimages, sporting events, and music concerts.
• Preventable Tragedy: Despite being well understood, scientifically predictable, and preventable, such incidents continue to happen.
  • Governments and event organizers must use this tragedy as a turning point for stronger safety measures.

Enroll now for UPSC Online Course

Reasons for Crowd Crush Disasters

• Density Thresholds: Studies show that at five people per square metre, injuries become likely; at seven people per square metre, the risk of death is high.
• Space Constraints: When crowds are forced into small spaces or blocked behind barriers, density increases rapidly, leading to crushes.
  • Preliminary reports suggest that crowd buildup behind a barrier led to dangerous compression, causing fatalities.
• Global Examples : Crowd disasters have occurred across the world, demonstrating the urgency of preventive measures:
  • Houston, U.S. (Nov 2021): 10 people died at a music festival due to overcrowding.
  • Itaewon, South Korea (Oct 2022): A Halloween festival crush killed 159 people.
  • Sanaa, Yemen (Apr 2023): Nearly 90 people died in a crowd surge at a charity distribution event.
  • Nigeria (Dec 2024): 35 people lost their lives in a religious festival stampede.
• Misconceptions: Crowd disasters are often blamed on “out-of-control” crowds, reinforcing harmful stereotypes.
• Scientific Reality: Victims are not at fault—crowd crushes occur due to poor planning and mismanagement, not individual behavior.
• Limited Individual Control:
  • Crowd members cannot perceive the density of the entire crowd.
  • Once densities become critical, individuals lose control over their movement and breathing.
• No Legal Obligation: In most countries, promoters, planners, and local governments are not legally required to implement crowd safety measures.
• Industry Resistance: Event organizers often oppose stricter laws, fearing restrictions on attendance and revenue.
• Maximizing Profits: Organizers have a financial incentive to overpack venues to increase ticket sales and maximize on-site spending on food, merchandise, and concessions.
• Safety vs. Revenue Conflict: Without regulations, profit motives override safety concerns, putting attendees at risk.

Way Forward

• Crowd Density Management: The responsibility to prevent disasters lies with governments, event organizers, and planners.
• Proven Safety Measures: Authorities can implement simple, cost-effective steps to prevent crowd crushes:
  • Increase Entry and Exit Points: Prevents bottlenecks and ensures smoother crowd flow.
  • Stagger Arrivals: Spreads the crowd over time, reducing sudden surges.
  • Ensure Clear Pathways: Removes obstacles that could create dangerous choke points.
  • Segmentation: Prevent  excessive crowd build-up in a single space.
• Best Practice Example: Each year, New Year’s Eve celebrations at Times Square implement crowd segmentation.
• • The crowd is divided into small sections of ~100 people each.
  • This prevents mass clustering and keeps density levels manageable.
  • Simple, low-cost, and highly effective at reducing crowd-related risks.
• Policy Reforms: The Maha Kumbh tragedy should push governments to introduce mandatory crowd safety laws.
• Crowd Density Limits: Enforce maximum people-per-square-meter thresholds.
• Infrastructure Adjustments: Mandate clear pathways, emergency exits, and crowd flow management.
• Accountability for Organizers: Require crowd safety plans as part of event permits.

Check Out UPSC CSE Books From PW Store

Conclusion

Delaying reforms risks more deaths at mass gatherings. Simple, low-cost measures can prevent crush incidents while ensuring enjoyable events. Governments must prioritize public safety over profit motives, enforcing sensible laws to prevent future tragedies.

Ready to boost your UPSC 2025 preparation? Join PW’s UPSC online courses today!

DOWNLOAD PDF