How to survive in a mob?

While there are 'no golden rules,' there are best practices to help us survive when caught in a stampede.

Large gatherings are common and usually do not cause serious problems. However, if a crowd exceeds the capacity of the space or if it is not managed well, chaos can occur.

When a crowd moves in one direction at the same time, some people may jostle and push against each other. This can become extremely dangerous.

Doctor Quan Hong Duc, Line Company Limited analyzes the causes of deadly disasters from crowds and how to protect yourself if you are unfortunately in a similar situation.

It is clear that in today's world and society, people have been facing a new type of disaster that appears more frequently and has increasingly serious consequences: Deadly disasters from crowds.

The horrific stampede at the disaster on November 22 at the Phnom Penh water festival left at least 375 people dead (as of 6pm on November 23). (Photo: AFP)

In cases like the one above, many people assume that being trampled may be the cause of most deaths. But the reality is that most deaths are due to suffocation .

Below is a chart of the average number of deaths in a mob from different events, to give readers an objective view of this new type of disaster .

There are three causes of deaths in chaotic and stampeding crowds. They are:

1. 1. Suffocation (this is the leading cause)
2. 2. Excessive crowding (when crowds push each other)
3. 3. Trampling (when the victim falls and is trampled by someone else)

Through analysis of recent disasters, we have found that most of the victims died due to the above causes. There are very few figures and reports showing that there are victims who died due to incidents that actually caused disasters such as fires, explosions, etc., because in reality these causes will be handled promptly by the authorities before the consequences occur. If there are, the number of casualties is usually not large.

We want you to note the first principle to be able to save yourself in similar situations: That is to control the fear (because you think you will die because of the incident in the event). You should remember that the authorities always prepare plans and means to deal with unexpected incidents that occur in an event. That is a mandatory requirement in the preparation of organizing an event with many participants.

Remember : People often die from the consequences of fear, but few die from the cause of fear.

To increase your ability to control fear in a chaotic crowd at an event, you need to prepare the following when deciding to attend the event:

1. Decide what type of event you will be attending (you should pay attention to the analysis of event-related deaths in the beginning of the article).
2. Consider your health . For example, if you have asthma, heart disease, or have muscle, bone, or joint problems or are currently undergoing treatment for an injury, it is best not to participate in the event.
3. Consider the location of the event: indoors or outdoors. If the event is indoors, you should consider the escape route in case of emergency. If the event is outdoors, you should consider the space and locate locations (buildings, parks, etc.) where you can escape from the event area in case of emergency. This will help you easily recognize the exit direction when in a crowd.
4. Do not carry sharp objects on your person when attending events . Sharp objects can injure you when being jostled or pushed by the crowd.
5. You should bring your mobile phone and try to stay in touch with family and friends by phone if you are stuck in a crowd. Also remember to charge your phone before going to the event.
6. Children should not be brought to events with large crowds.

What do you do when you're stuck in a crowd, and the crowd becomes more and more chaotic and uncontrollable?

Remember, the main cause of death for victims is suffocation. So stay calm and control your fear. Raise your head higher to get more air.

You should also know that when 6 or 7 people push in the same direction, the force can reach nearly 500kg. This force is enough to bend an iron bar or knock down a wall. The victims who died were often found standing. Even when the crowd dispersed, they died while still standing. These victims often died from broken ribs or ruptured internal organs due to compression . Broken ribs and ruptured internal organs are caused by direct pressure on the body from the front and back. Therefore, when moving in a crowd, the best position is to move sideways so that the pressure of the crowd is on the side of your body.

To increase your chances of survival when caught in a crowd that has started to panic due to some incident, you should keep the following in mind:

1. Stay calm to review information about the incident (accuracy of information, type of incident: fire, explosion, building collapse.)
2. In the first few minutes, never run with the majority of the crowd . The chance of getting stuck in the crowd is much greater than the chance of getting out when there are many people running in the same direction.
3. Look around for locations you have identified (such as buildings, parks. or the nearest emergency exit) and find a way to move in the direction you have identified.
4. Look around for rescue workers, emergency workers or other people who are at the event and know more than you. Usually, in a stampede, people are not paying attention to their surroundings. They are usually looking in the direction ahead where they are going. There are many people who know the best escape route but no one will listen to them in such situations. Sometimes these people are higher than you (on a tree, on a wall, etc.) and can see further and better. Try to look at them and follow their directions.
5. Try to contact your loved one and ask for more information if they are in a different location.
6. Pay attention to the immediate consequences of the incident (smoke, toxic gases from the fire). Observe the direction of the smoke to determine your direction.

If you are definitely stuck in a crowd, do not try to go against the flow. This will exhaust you and make you vulnerable to being attacked by others and you will fall. If you fall in a chaotic crowd, trampled on each other, the possibility of death is very high.

It is best to move with the flow of people, let the force of others carry you, do not try to cut across or go against it. Move sideways with the flow of people and look around for an escape opportunity.

Finally, remember: There is only one way to help you escape from disaster, and that is: Calmness . Let calmness lead you to the most accurate judgment and action.

Doctor Quan Hong Duc - Dong Ke One Member Co., Ltd. said.

Be aware that there may be danger if the crowd is too dense and unusual around.

How to recognize the danger signs of a crowd

Once you're in a crowd and start to feel the pressure, Moussaïd says it's almost too late to act. The best thing you can do is try not to put yourself in that dangerous situation . "The problem is that most people don't realize it's dangerous. We don't have a culture of awareness of the dangers of crowds."

The most important advice is to be aware that there can be danger if the crowd is too dense and unusual around you.

Leave as soon as you feel the crowd is too thick

If you start to feel uncomfortable, but you still have time and are free to move around, leave immediately.

Stand firm

Keeping your feet is important because if you fall, it will be very difficult to get back up. When you fall, you become an obstacle for others. This also creates a chain reaction like a snowball effect. As a result, people are pushing, falling and crushing each other.

Practice breathing

Lack of oxygen is the leading cause of death in stampedes. " The problem is breathing. If you can maintain enough space to breathe, you will be fine. Put your arms right in front of your chest and keep them there. In this position, you will have some space, just a little but enough to continue breathing. It will be uncomfortable but at least you will survive," Moussaïd emphasized.

Move with the crowd

In a crowd, everything follows a chain reaction. When you push people around, they push back. Then there is jostling and chaos. If you feel pushed, don't push back. Just move with the crowd. This is the best way to handle this situation.

Avoid walls and hard objects

When moving with a crowd, you also have to pay attention to avoid obstacles. For example, if you encounter a wall, you will not be able to move forward and will be crushed against the wall by the people behind you. That is very dangerous.

Learn to detect crowd density

Crowd density is expressed as the number of people per square meter, and there are certain safety thresholds. "Below five people per square meter, things can get uncomfortable, but still okay. Above six people per square meter, it starts to get dangerous. At eight people per square meter, casualties are more likely."

It's hard to tell the density visually. Moussaïd offers a tip: "If you feel people touching you on both shoulders or multiple places on your body at the same time, the density is probably around six people or more. If you still have time and can move, leave immediately."

Pay attention to other people

'Helping behavior can also be 'contagious' in a crowd. If you try to help people around you, they will help you, or they will help others. If this spreads, it creates a positive, helpful atmosphere, making things less bad,' Moussaïd explains.

In this regard, crowd safety expert Paul Wertheimer, who has written 600 articles on the subject, has listed some more best practices for surviving being caught in a chaotic crowd.

The expert's first piece of advice is to stand tall. If you're walking, try to keep pace with the crowd. To stay steady, he recommends standing with your feet apart to maintain balance and 'holding your hands like a boxer,' according to The Jerusalem Post.

In super-tight crowds, that action will help protect the heart and lungs from the forces that can amount to thousands of pounds of pressure compressing the chest.

If you fall, never lie on your stomach or back.

If you fall, do everything you can to get up and immediately help others who have fallen. If you can't stand, put your arms around your head to protect it and pull your legs up close to your body. He emphasized: Lie on your side to protect your most vital organs.

Keep calm, stay alert and don't scream.

Don't scream, Wertheimer stresses. No one can actually hear you, and in a crush, screaming takes up more oxygen.

Loss of oxygen can lead to fainting, so if necessary, try hand signals, eye contact, or facial expressions.