At least 18 people have been trampled to death on their way to attend the Loveparade techno music festival in the western German city of Duisburg on Saturday.
The tragedy occurred in a tunnel on the way to the festival grounds as police were trying to prevent people from entering the overcrowded site. Thousands of fans had been walking along a hundred-meter pathway toward the festival for several hours, many of them intoxicated.
According to eyewitnesses, people were unable to move forward or backward, sparking a panic and stampede. At least nine women and six men were killed, and others remain in critical condition.
Duisburg police commissioner Juergen Kieskemper described the situation as "very chaotic," and said they were still trying to determine exactly what happened.
City authorities earlier confirmed that 15 people had died and said an additional 80 were injured in the tunnel. Facing the crush of the crowd, paramedics had difficulty getting through to the site. Police later said that 16 people had died at the scene and that a further two had died of their injuries in hospital.
'No turning back'
Collapsed woman being cared forBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Parademics had difficulty getting to the accident site
Festival-goers described a mass of people pushing with unstoppable force.
It took Sergei Benkogenov and Vitaly Dippel from Hamm three hours to reach the festival grounds from Duisburg's train station. At some point, they wondered if their efforts were worth it.
"We really would have liked to turn around and go home," said 19-year-old Benkogenov, "but it was impossible. There was no turning back."
"No one knew where the Loveparade started," Bekogenov added. "The line was endless."
Right before reports of the stampede, with thousands in line waiting to get in, police announced at 5:34 p.m. that the festival grounds had reached capacity and were being closed.
"The police announced by loudspeaker that participants should return in the direction of the train station," said one eyewitness.
Authorities, however, later said at a press conference at the Duisburg city hall that the festival grounds were not yet filled at the time of the tragedy.
The LoveparadeBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: The party went on "for safety reasons"
"My thoughts are with the victims of the tragedy and with all their family and friends," Wulff said, adding that he hoped for a full explanation as to the causes of the incident.
Spokesman Frank Kopatschek told news agency dpa that "the city of Duisburg's action committee has decided not to end the festival for now, for safety reasons."
Kopatschek said the city was concerned about preventing further panic among the 1.4 million people in attendance.
Police have activated a hotline for family members of festival-goers anxious about the well-being of their loved ones.
The Loveparade festival began in Berlin in 1989.
Rest in Peace...
I'm a big fan of those gigs and big fan of techno music and house music and this is a real tragedy...
The tragedy occurred in a tunnel on the way to the festival grounds as police were trying to prevent people from entering the overcrowded site. Thousands of fans had been walking along a hundred-meter pathway toward the festival for several hours, many of them intoxicated.
According to eyewitnesses, people were unable to move forward or backward, sparking a panic and stampede. At least nine women and six men were killed, and others remain in critical condition.
Duisburg police commissioner Juergen Kieskemper described the situation as "very chaotic," and said they were still trying to determine exactly what happened.
City authorities earlier confirmed that 15 people had died and said an additional 80 were injured in the tunnel. Facing the crush of the crowd, paramedics had difficulty getting through to the site. Police later said that 16 people had died at the scene and that a further two had died of their injuries in hospital.
'No turning back'
Collapsed woman being cared forBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Parademics had difficulty getting to the accident site
Festival-goers described a mass of people pushing with unstoppable force.
It took Sergei Benkogenov and Vitaly Dippel from Hamm three hours to reach the festival grounds from Duisburg's train station. At some point, they wondered if their efforts were worth it.
"We really would have liked to turn around and go home," said 19-year-old Benkogenov, "but it was impossible. There was no turning back."
"No one knew where the Loveparade started," Bekogenov added. "The line was endless."
Right before reports of the stampede, with thousands in line waiting to get in, police announced at 5:34 p.m. that the festival grounds had reached capacity and were being closed.
"The police announced by loudspeaker that participants should return in the direction of the train station," said one eyewitness.
Authorities, however, later said at a press conference at the Duisburg city hall that the festival grounds were not yet filled at the time of the tragedy.
The LoveparadeBildunterschrift: Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: The party went on "for safety reasons"
"My thoughts are with the victims of the tragedy and with all their family and friends," Wulff said, adding that he hoped for a full explanation as to the causes of the incident.
Spokesman Frank Kopatschek told news agency dpa that "the city of Duisburg's action committee has decided not to end the festival for now, for safety reasons."
Kopatschek said the city was concerned about preventing further panic among the 1.4 million people in attendance.
Police have activated a hotline for family members of festival-goers anxious about the well-being of their loved ones.
The Loveparade festival began in Berlin in 1989.
Rest in Peace...
I'm a big fan of those gigs and big fan of techno music and house music and this is a real tragedy...
