World
When crowd surges turn deadly
It happened at a music festival in Houston, a soccer stadium in England, during a hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, in a Chicago nightclub, and countless other gatherings: Large crowds surge toward exits, onto playing fields or press up against a stage with such force that people are literally squeezed to death.
And it has happened again, during Halloween festivities in the South Korean capital Seoul, where a crowd pushed forward, the narrow street they were on acting as a vice, leaving more than 140 people dead and 150 more injured.
The risk of such tragic accidents, which receded when venues closed and people stayed home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has returned.
To be sure, most events where large crowds gather happen without injury or death, with fans coming and going without incident. But those that went horribly wrong shared some common traits. Here is a look at why that happens:
HOW DO PEOPLE DIE AT THESE EVENTS?
While movies that show crowds desperately try to flee suggest getting trampled might be the cause of most of the deaths, the reality is most people who die in a crowd surge are suffocated.
Read: Seoul Halloween stampede: World leaders offer condolences
What can’t be seen are forces so strong that they can bend steel. That means something as simple as drawing breath becomes impossible. People die standing up and those who fall die because the bodies on top of them exert such pressure that breathing becomes impossible.
“As people struggle to get up, arms and legs get twisted together. Blood supply starts to be reduced to the brain,” G. Keith Still, a visiting professor of crowd science at the University of Suffolk in England, told NPR after the Astroworld crowd surge in Houston last November. “It takes 30 seconds before you lose consciousness, and around about six minutes, you’re into compressive or restrictive asphyxia. That’s a generally the attributed cause of death — not crushing, but suffocation.”
WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE OF BEING SWEPT INTO A CRUSH OF PEOPLE LIKE?
Survivors tell stories of gasping for breath, being pushed deeper under what feels like an avalanche of flesh as others, desperate to escape, climb over them. Of being pinned against doors that won’t open and fences that won’t give.
“Survivors described being gradually compressed, unable to move, their heads ‘locked between arms and shoulders ... faces gasping in panic,’” according to a report after a human crush in 1989 at the Hillsborough soccer stadium in Sheffield, England, led to the death of nearly 100 Liverpool fans. “They were aware that people were dying and they were helpless to save themselves.”
WHAT TRIGGERS SUCH EVENTS?
At a Chicago nightclub in 2003, a crowd surge began after security guards used pepper spray to break up a fight. Twenty-one people died in the resulting crowd surge. And this month in Indonesia, 131 people were killed when tear gas was fired into a half-locked stadium, triggering a crush at the exits.
Read: Halloween crowd stampede in Seoul leaves at least 151 dead
In Nepal in 1988, it was a sudden downpour that sent soccer fans rushing toward locked stadium exits, leading to the deaths of 93 fans. In the latest incident in South Korea, some news outlets reported that the crush occurred after a large number of people rushed to a bar after hearing that an unidentified celebrity was there.
But Still, the British professor who has testified as an expert witness in court cases involving crowds, pointed to a variation of the age-old example of someone shouting “Fire” in a crowded movie theater. He told the AP last year that what lights the fuse of such a rush for safety in the U.S., more than in any other country, is the sound of someone shouting: “He has a gun!”
WHAT ROLE DID THE PANDEMIC PLAY?
Stadiums are filling up again. During the pandemic, as games went forward, teams took some creative steps to make things look somewhat normal. Cardboard figures of fans were placed in some of the seats and crowd noise was piped in — a sports version of a comedy show laugh track.
Now, though, the crowds are back, and the danger has returned.
“As soon as you add people into the mix, there will always be a risk,” Steve Allen of Crowd Safety, a U.K.-based consultancy engaged in major events around the world, told the AP in 2021.
At least 91 killed in India bridge collapse
At least 91 people, mostly women and children, were killed and 80 others injured after a colonial-era cable bridge over a river collapsed in the Indian state of Gujarat on Sunday evening.
The tragedy occurred in Morbi district of Gujarat, the home state of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, around 6.45pm. The PM is currently on a three-day visit to the poll-bound state in western India.
"Over 500 people had thronged the bridge to perform religious rituals when it collapsed. So far, 91 bodies have been found. Over 80 people are being treated at nearby hospitals for injuries," a police officer told the media.
Local TV channels beamed footage of the rescue operations being carried out by the disaster management personnel in search of some 50 others said to be missing after plunging into the river following the tragedy.
It may be mentioned here that the bridge was repaired and reopened to the public barely a week ago.
Read: Halloween crowd stampede in Seoul leaves at least 151 dead
The state government was quick to accept responsibility for the tragedy and announce a five-member probe panel. "Renovation happened last week. The government takes responsibility for this tragedy," Brijesh Merja, a Gujarat minister, told the media.
Modi took to Twitter to condole the deaths. "I am deeply saddened by the tragedy at Morbi. Relief and rescue operations are on in full swing and all necessary assistance is being provided to the affected," he wrote.
The state government also announced a compensation of Rs 4 lakh for the family of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to the injured. This was tweeted by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel.
Bridge and flyover collapses are not uncommon in India.
How AI is helping Japan convenience stores, supermarkets profit from reduced waste
It is 3pm. In-store computers at a convenience store chain in Tokyo's Shinjuku Ward decide which food items should be discounted and by how much. Assorted sandwiches, one, 20 yen ($0.13) off, and crispy ham and lettuce sandwiches, three, 30 yen off, a display says.
Then a manager prints out price tags and goes about attaching them to items. Eight assorted sandwiches line the shelf, but only one, approaching its expiration date, is discounted.
More Japanese convenience stores and supermarkets are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to analyse data such as past sales figures to decide what discounts to apply to perishable products to boost sales and cut food waste, reports Kyodo News Plus.
Lawson Inc, one of Japan's largest convenience store chains, introduced a system in 2015 where AI at its head office advises store managers and experienced staff on product management at all stores.
To calculate how far to lower prices, the software considers a store's sales, delivery times and the local weather conditions to propose a price that gives the product the best chance at being sold.
Seoul Halloween stampede: World leaders offer condolences
World leaders expressed sadness and condolences after at least 151 people were killed in a crowd surge Saturday night in Seoul, South Korea.
The tragedy occurred in Seoul’s Itaewon district during Halloween festivities when a huge crowd surged into a narrow downhill alley. At least 82 others were injured in the South Korea’s deadliest accident in years.
U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden sent their “deepest condolences” to the families of the deceased.
“We grieve with the people of the Republic of Korea and wish for a quick recovery to all those who were injured,” said President Biden in a tweet. “The United States stands with the Republic of Korea during this tragic time.”
Similarly, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak described the news from Seoul as “horrific” on Twitter.
“All our thoughts are with those currently responding and all South Koreans at this very distressing time,” Sunak wrote.
Itaewon’s international character was shaped by its proximity to a U.S. military garrison nearby. The area is still home to restaurants, bars and other businesses catering to the American community in Seoul.
U.S. Forces Korea, which commands the sizable American military presence in the country, expressed its condolences in a Facebook post.
“The Itaewon community has opened its arms to us for many years and is part of the reason our Alliance is so strong,” the command said, writing in English and Korean. “During this time of grief, we will be there for you just as you have been there for us.”
Leaders from countries including Japan, France, China and Singapore reacted with shock and sadness over the tragedy in Seoul.
“I’m hugely shocked and deeply saddened by the extremely tragic accident in Itaewon, Seoul, that took many precious lives, including those of young people with their future ahead of them,” Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a tweet.
In France, President Emmanuel Macron — who tweeted in both French and in Korean — offered support to Seoul residents and South Korea.
“France is with you,” he said.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau echoed similar sentiments on Twitter, sending his “deepest condolences” to the people of South Korea “and wishing a fast and full recovery to those who were injured.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping also sent condolences to South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, expressing condolences and shock over the stampede accident in Seoul, according to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry. He also expressed condolences to the victims of the accident and their families.
Hong Kong leader John Lee said in a statement on Facebook that he was saddened by the accident in Seoul.
“I express profound sorrow over the passing of the victims, extend my deepest condolences to their families and wish for a speedy recovery to all those who were injured,” said Lee.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said that the “tragic events in Seoul come as a shock to all of us.”
“Our thoughts are with the numerous victims and their families,” Scholz said in a tweet. “This is a sad day for South Korea. Germany stands by their side.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said she was “heartbroken” by the tragic news from Seoul.
“They were looking for a night of lighthearted Halloween festivities but instead found real horror and death,” said Baerbock. “My thoughts are with the victims, their friends and families, and those who still fear for their loved ones.”
Singapore’s President Halimah Yacob described the loss of lives as “tragic” and said it was “hard to imagine” the trauma and grief experienced by the families, loved ones and friends of those affected.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the people of South Korea during this difficult time, and I wish a quick and full recovery to all those who are injured,” she said.
At least 100 dead as two car bombs exploded at Somalia's capital
Somalia’s president says at least 100 people were killed in Saturday’s two car bombings at a busy junction in the capital and the toll could rise.
President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud in a statement at the site of the explosions told journalists early Sunday that nearly 300 other people were wounded.
It was the deadliest attack in Somalia since a truck bombing at the same spot in October 2017 killed more than 500 people.
Somalia’s government has blamed the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group, which often targets the capital. The group doesn’t make claims of responsibility when large numbers of civilians are killed.
Somalia’s president, elected this year, said the country remained at war with al-Shabab “and we are winning.” The government, along with militia groups, has been engaged in a new offensive against the extremists who hold large parts of the country.
All you need to know about Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline
Nord Stream 2 is a gas pipeline designed to deliver Russian natural gas from Russia to Germany through the waters of the Baltic Sea.
The gas artery's construction ended in September 2021. The project is controlled by the operating company Nord Stream AG office in Switzerland's Zug.
Last year, Nord Stream 2's certification was delayed by Germany, with the process halted indefinitely in February 2022.
Just six months later, a major breakdown hit the gas artery, with underwater blasts detected on the pipeline. The European Union saw the incident as "sabotage," and Moscow called it an act of "international terrorism."
Read more: Despite Russian supply cuts German gas storage over 90% full
Designed to carry Russian "blue fuel" to Germany through the Baltic Sea, Nord Stream 2 was founded by Russia's Gazprom.
The project's cost stands at about $9.2 billion. European companies chipped in to pay half the sum. Among these companies are France's Engie, Austria's OMV, Holland-UK's Shell, and Germany's Uniper and Wintershall.
Initial plans stipulated that Gazprom would receive 51 percent of the company's shares, while the rest should have been granted to its above-mentioned European partners.
In 2017, however, Gazprom bought out all 100 percent shares of Nord Stream 2 AG, with the European companies starting to act as the project's investors.
In June 2021, Famil Sadygov, deputy chairman of Gazprom's board of directors, pointed out that "the project is fully provided with financing to complete its investment stage and move to the operational one."
Where is Nord Stream 2 Pipeline situated?
The 1,234km project passes through the territories of Russia, Germany, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.
Nord Stream 2 bypasses transit countries, including Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland.
Why is US against Nord Stream 2?
The US, along with its allies in Eastern Europe, especially Poland and Ukraine, has repeatedly opposed the construction of Nord Stream 2.
Washington previously imposed two rounds of sanctions on the project, arguing that once Nord Stream 2 is operational, Europe will become even more dependent on Russia's energy resources, something the White House claims will help Moscow obtain political leverage.
Former US Ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell described Nord Stream 2 as "an unceremonious attempt" by Russian authorities to increase the strangulation of European allies and partners in terms of energy supply in 2019.
Last year, the Biden administration decided to waive sanctions against Nord Stream 2, citing its understanding of the fact that the sanctions would not work and referring to its unwillingness to alienate Berlin, one of Washington's key allies.
Moscow has repeatedly underscored that the project is purely economic and that the way the White House opposes it is an example of unfair competition.
Read more: Russia’s Gazprom keeps gas pipeline to Germany switched off
How expensive would gas be for Germany without Nord Stream 2?
On September 16, Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung newspaper сited the German Public Utilities Association as reporting that next year may see a 60 percent increase in gas prices in the country due to a reduction in supplies from Russia amid the suspension of the Nord Stream 2 project.
According to the newspaper, with electricity prices in Germany increasing by more than 10 percent, the so-called ultimate consumers now have to pay 30-60 percent more for gas than before the beginning of the ongoing Russian special military operation in Ukraine, which was launched on February 24 and followed by western countries slapping packages of "severe sanctions" on Moscow.
Klaus Ernst, head of the Bundestag's Committee for Economics and Energy, said it is worth considering launching Nord Stream 2 due to what he called the absence of other alternatives.
According to him, "In general, it does not matter through which pipeline the gas is delivered to Germany because the fuel remains Russian anyway. In this sense the issue of Nord Stream 2 is rather symbolic."
Difference between Nord Stream 1 and 2
Both pipelines are parts of the single Nord Stream gas transportation network.
Nord Stream 1 gas pipeline, which entered into service in 2011, starts its route in the northern Russian town of Vyborg, while Nord Stream 2, which has yet to start running, begins its path near Russia's northwestern Ust-Luga.
Most recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that one Nord Stream 2 branch was in working condition, adding that "the decision to launch it is not being made and is unlikely to be made, but this is not our (Russia's) business."
Russia halts grain deal over Ukrainian drone attack
Russia announced Saturday that it will immediately suspend its implementation of a U.N.-brokered grain deal that has seen more than 9 million tonnes of grain exported from Ukraine during the war and has brought down soaring global food prices. Ukraine accused Russia of creating a world "hunger games.”
The Russian Defense Ministry cited an alleged Ukrainian drone attack Saturday against Russia’s Black Sea Fleet ships moored off the coast of occupied Crimea as the reason for the move. Ukraine has denied the attack, saying that the Russians mishandled their own weapons.
The Russian declaration came one day after U.N. chief Antonio Guterres urged Russia and Ukraine to renew the grain export deal, which was scheduled to expire on Nov. 19. Guterres also urged other countries, mainly in the West, to expedite the removal of obstacles blocking Russian grain and fertilizer exports.
The U.N. chief said the grain deal — brokered by the United Nations and Turkey in July — helps "to cushion the suffering that this global cost-of-living crisis is inflicting on billions of people,” his spokesman said.
U.N. officials were in touch with Russian authorities over the announced suspension.
“It is vital that all parties refrain from any action that would imperil the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is a critical humanitarian effort that is clearly having a positive impact on access to food for millions of people,” said Guterres' spokesman, Stephane Dujarric.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called the Russian move “predictable.” He accused Moscow of “blockading” ships carrying grain since September. Currently, he said, 176 vessels are backed up at sea, carrying more than 2 million tons of food.
“This is a transparent attempt by Russia to return to the threat of large-scale famine in Africa and Asia,” Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly video address. He called for a tough response against Russia from international bodies like the U.N. and the G-20.
Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, Dmytro Kuleba, accused Russia of playing “hunger games” by imperiling global food shipments.
In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the suspension was regrettable and urged “all parties to keep this essential, life-saving Initiative functioning.”
“Any act by Russia to disrupt these critical grain exports is essentially a statement that people and families around the world should pay more for food or go hungry,” Blinken said in a statement Saturday night. “In suspending this arrangement, Russia is again weaponizing food in the war it started, directly impacting low- and middle-income countries and global food prices, and exacerbating already dire humanitarian crises and food insecurity.”
Russia's Foreign Ministry on Saturday accused British specialists of being involved in the alleged attack by drones on Russian ships in Crimea. Britain’s Defense Ministry had no immediate comment on the claim.
“In connection with the actions of Ukrainian armed forces, led by British specialists, directed, among other things, against Russian ships that ensure the functioning of the humanitarian corridor in question (which cannot be qualified otherwise than as a terrorist attack), the Russian side cannot guarantee the safety of civilian dry cargo ships participating in the Black Sea initiative, and suspends its implementation from today for an indefinite period,'' the Russian statement said.
Ukraine’s Ministry of Infrastructure said that Ukraine has never threatened the Black Sea grain corridor which “is exclusively humanitarian in nature,” and would continue to try to keep shipments going. It said since the first ship left Odesa on Aug. 1, more than 9 million tons of food have been exported, including more than 5 million tons to African and Asian countries. As part of the U.N. World Food Program, it said, 190 thousand tons of wheat have been sent to countries where there is hunger.
Russia also requested a meeting Monday of the U.N. Security Council because of the alleged attack on the Black Sea Fleet and the security of the grain corridor, said Dmitry Polyansky, Russia’s first deputy representative to the U.N.
Russia's agriculture minister said Moscow stands ready to “fully replace Ukrainian grain and deliver supplies at affordable prices to all interested countries.” In remarks carried by the state Rossiya 24 TV channel, Dmitry Patrushev said Moscow was prepared to “supply up to 500,000 tons of grain to the poorest countries free of charge in the next four months,” with the help of Turkey.
Earlier Saturday, Ukraine and Russia offered differing versions on the Crimea drone attack in which at least one Russian ship suffered damage in Sevastopol, a key port on the Ukrainian peninsula annexed by Moscow in 2014.
The Russian Defense Ministry said a minesweeper had “minor damage” during an alleged pre-dawn Ukrainian attack on navy and civilian vessels docked in Sevastopol, which hosts the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. The ministry claimed Russian forces had “repelled” 16 attacking drones.
The governor of the Sevastopol region, Mikhail Razvozhaev, claimed the port saw a “massive attack” by air and sea drones. He provided no evidence, saying all video would be seized for security reasons.
But an adviser to Ukraine’s Interior Ministry claimed that “careless handling of explosives” had caused blasts on four warships in Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. Anton Gerashchenko wrote on Telegram that the vessels included a frigate, a landing ship and a ship that carried cruise missiles used in a deadly July attack on a western Ukrainian city.
In other developments on Saturday, Russian troops moved large numbers of sick and wounded comrades from hospitals in Ukraine's southern Kherson region and stripped the facilities of medical equipment, Ukrainian officials said as their forces fought to retake the province.
Kremlin-installed authorities in the mostly Russian-occupied region have urged civilians to leave the city of Kherson, the region's capital — and reportedly joined the tens of thousands who have fled to other Russia-held areas.
Zelenskyy said the Russians were “dismantling the entire health care system” in Kherson and other occupied areas.
“The occupiers have decided to close medical institutions in the cities, take away equipment, ambulances. just everything," Zelenskyy said.
Kherson is one of four regions in Ukraine that Russian President Vladimir Putin illegally annexed last month and where he subsequently declared martial law. The others are Donetsk, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia.
As Kyiv's forces sought gains in the south, Russia kept up its shelling and missile attacks in the country's east. Three more civilians died and eight more were wounded in the Donetsk region, as Russian soldiers try to capture the city of Bakhmut, an important target in Russia's stalled eastern offensive.
Russian shelling also hit an industrial building in Ukraine’s southern Zaporizhzhia region.
In the latest prisoner exchange, 50 Ukrainian soldiers, including two former defenders of the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, and two civilians were released Saturday as part of a swap with Russia, who received 50 Russian soldiers, both sides reported.
At least 30 dead as two car bombs exploded at Somalia's capital
Two car bombs exploded Saturday at a busy junction in Somalia's capital near key government offices, causing “scores of civilian casualties" including children, national police said. One hospital worker counted at least 30 bodies amid fears of possibly many more.
The attack in Mogadishu occurred on a day when the president, prime minister and other senior officials were meeting to discuss expanded efforts to combat violent extremism, especially by the al-Qaida-affiliated al-Shabab group that often targets the capital. It also came five years after another massive blast in the exact same location killed over 500 people.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Al-Shabab rarely claims attacks with large numbers of civilians killed, as in the 2017 blast. But President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud blamed al-Shabab by name, calling the attack “cruel and cowardly.”
A volunteer at the Medina hospital, Hassan Osman, said “out of the total of at least 30 dead people brought to the hospital, the majority of them are women. I have seen this with my own eyes.” At the hospital and elsewhere, frantic relatives peeked under plastic sheeting and into body bags, looking for loved ones.
The Aamin ambulance service said they had collected at least 35 wounded. One ambulance responding to the first attack was destroyed by the second blast, director Abdulkadir Adan added in a tweet.
“I was 100 meters away when the second blast occurred,” witness Abdirazak Hassan said. “I couldn't count the bodies on the ground due to the (number of) fatalities.” He said the first blast hit the perimeter wall of the education ministry, where street vendors and money changers were located.
An Associated Press journalist at the scene said the second blast occurred in front of a busy restaurant during lunchtime. The blasts demolished tuk-tuks and other vehicles in an area of many restaurants and hotels. He saw “many” bodies and said they appeared to be civilians traveling on public transport.
The Somali Journalists Syndicate, citing colleagues and police, said one journalist was killed and two others wounded by the second blast while rushing to the scene of the first.
The attack occurred at Zobe junction, which was the scene of a huge al-Shabab truck bombing in 2017 that killed more than 500 people.
Somalia’s government has been engaged in a high-profile new offensive against the extremist group that the United States has described as one of al-Qaida’s deadliest organizations. The president has described it as “total war" against the extremists, who control large parts of central and southern Somalia and have been the target of scores of U.S. airstrikes in recent years.
The extremists have responded by killing prominent clan leaders in an apparent effort to dissuade support for that government offensive.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre said the attack would not dampen the public uprising against al-Shabab, and he and the president expressed the government's determination to wipe out the extremist group.
WHO lists 19 life-threatening fungi to tackle antifungal resistance
The World Health Organization (WHO) has catalogued the 19 fungi that represent the greatest public health risk today to promote research and strengthen the response to fungal infections and antifungal resistance.
People most at risk are those with underlying health problems or a weakened immune system, the UN health agency said.
The invasive fungal infections increased significantly among hospitalised patients, often with devastating consequences when the Covid-19 pandemic gathered pace.
"New groups at risk of invasive fungal disease are constantly being identified," the WHO said Tuesday. "As the fungi that cause common infections – such as candida oral and vaginal thrush – become increasingly resistant to treatment, risks for the development of more invasive forms of infections in the general population are also growing."
There are only four types of antifungal medicine available today, which is a problem, as fungal infections are becoming more common and resistant to treatment.
Even more worrying is the fact that most fungal pathogens lack rapid and sensitive diagnostics, and those (medicines) that exist are not widely available or affordable globally, the WHO said.
People at greatest risk from invasive fungal infections include those with cancer, HIV or AIDS, organ transplants, chronic respiratory disease and tuberculosis.
Latest data shared by the WHO indicates that fungal diseases are expanding in number and reach worldwide.
Global warming and the increase in international travel and trade are believed to be responsible, the UN health agency said.
To tackle the fungal disease, the WHO urged the strengthening of laboratory and surveillance capacities, to better understand the burden of infection and antifungal resistance.
The UN health agency's catalogue focuses on fungal pathogens that can cause invasive acute and subacute systemic fungal infections which have proved resistant to medication.
The pathogens are ranked and listed in three priority groups: critical, high and medium. The critical group includes Cryptococcus neoformans, Candida auris, Aspergillus fumigatus and Candida albicans.
Swiss railway company claims record for world’s longest passenger train
A Swiss railway company claimed the record for the world’s longest passenger train Saturday with a trip on one of the most spectacular tracks through the Alps.
The Rhaetian Railway company ran the 1.9-kilometer-long (1.2-mile-long) train composed of 100 coaches along the Albula/Bernina route from Preda to Berguen.
The route was designated a UNESCO World Heritage in 2008 and leads through 22 tunnels, some of which spiral through mountains, and across 48 bridges, including the curved Landwasser Viaduct.