CINCINNATI — Cincinnati’s Heritage Bank Center used to be known as Riverfront Stadium, the scene of one of the worst examples of a concert crowd that got out of control.
In 1979, British rock band The Who was in town to perform in front of 14,000 fans. Before the music started, thousands of concertgoers with first-come, first-served festival-seating tickets crowded around the doors to be let in. But just two doors of the coliseum had been opened when people heard the band testing sound equipment and the crowd began surging forward.
The crush trapped people who were packed so tightly against the unopened doors, they were unable to breathe. Eleven people – ages 15 to 27 – died that night. Dozens more were injured. Some had been trampled by the crowd.
The music went on as planned although the band didn’t get word of what had happened until the concert ended.
Flash forward to this past Friday night in Houston, when a crowd surge at a Travis Scott concert caused the deaths of eight people.
Experts say crowd surges are dangerous events that have happened at a number of sporting events, concerts and even religious pilgrimages.
They say tragedies like the one in Cincinnati 42 years ago and in Houston last week can be prevented by having better procedures in place to report warnings before a crowd gets out of hand and to provide enough safe space around each person who attends a concert.
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