Human stampede’s, or crushes have killed and injured many people around the world, going back thousands of years. These stampedes are created when an event has poor crowd control or an emergency causes people to panic and begin to head for the exits all at once. We know in a concert hall during an emergency getting everybody out quickly is challenging. Keep in mind several key principles will help you survive should you ever be caught up in such an event.
First, don’t panic regardless of the circumstances. Rather, look for exits when in a venue, which may not be the most obvious. Most individuals will have a tendency to rush back to the exit door from whence they entered which often is not the best or least congested exit point. Further, if the danger is the stampede itself but not an emergency event find a way to take cover, if possible. For example, if you can stand by a pillar or some nook or cranny out of the way let the crowd pass by and depart as the crowd thins.
Second, you need to keep moving with the crowd. If you make an effort to simply stop on your own the crowd will continue to press you forward and you may lose control of your circumstance. If possible, start working your way to the left or right to get yourself to the edge of the stampede where generally you will find less pressure.
Third, hold your arms in a cross over your chest. During the stampede some people are unable to breathe as the crowd presses in. With your arms crossed you may be able to press forward just enough to give yourself some space to breathe. Plus, you will have a better opportunity to keep your balance.
Fourth, look ahead and try to avoid chokepoints. If 5,000 people are all trying to jam through an area that only allows two or three people through at a time try to locate a place further away with less crown pressure. Then exit when the crisis passes.
Fifth, regardless of the circumstances conserve your energy as much as possible by not screaming or yelling. Also, don’t push against the crowd which will also drain your energy. Keep in mind oxygen levels will drop some because everybody’s breathing the same limited air so take whatever steps you’re able to maintain your energy.
Six, obviously you want to stay on your feet. If you were to lose your balance and fall down crawl into a ball and cover your head with your arms. If there’s room put your arm in the air as a way of asking somebody to give you a hand up. Likewise, if you see somebody on the ground give them a hand up so they’re not crossed.
We see an example in Scripture, “When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake.” (Matthew 8:18 NIV) In this situation, the Lord used the lake as an escape route from the crowd. Likewise, in the unlikely event that you’re caught in a crowd stampede follow these guidelines which may make the difference between death, injury or escaping.
For more information on how to prepare for civil unrest: ReadyChristian
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