ROLLTIDE
11-16-2009, 08:03 AM
Council attacked after crowd surge
Quote: http://www.warez-bb.org/templates/fisubice/images/bg_quote_header.gifAn MP has criticised a council for bad planning after a crowd surge at a Christmas lights switch-on left scores of people injured.
Four people needed hospital treatment and 60 others were injured after a metal barrier collapsed when a crowd surged forward during a performance by JLS at the switch-on in Birmingham.
The free event, organised by Birmingham City Council, was cancelled as paramedics set up a medical unit at Birmingham's Millennium Point to treat the injured.
Video footage taken by onlookers showed the barrier collapsing under the weight of 20,000 fans surging forward.
An investigation is under way by council chiefs into the incident.
But MP Khalid Mahmood, who represents the Perry Barr area of the city, said they had been lucky the outcome was not worse.
He said: "People sent their children, a lot of them trusting the fact that the local authority had arranged this and made it secure.
"This could have been far far worse than it was, we are very very lucky.
"There was no real assessment of what the dangers were and how many people there could be."
Thousands of people turned out for the event, which was set to feature a host of chart-topping acts, including the Sugababes, Tinchy Stryder, Chipmunk, Little Boots and Alexandra Burke.
Code: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3563284.html?menu=
Quote: http://www.warez-bb.org/templates/fisubice/images/bg_quote_header.gifAn MP has criticised a council for bad planning after a crowd surge at a Christmas lights switch-on left scores of people injured.
Four people needed hospital treatment and 60 others were injured after a metal barrier collapsed when a crowd surged forward during a performance by JLS at the switch-on in Birmingham.
The free event, organised by Birmingham City Council, was cancelled as paramedics set up a medical unit at Birmingham's Millennium Point to treat the injured.
Video footage taken by onlookers showed the barrier collapsing under the weight of 20,000 fans surging forward.
An investigation is under way by council chiefs into the incident.
But MP Khalid Mahmood, who represents the Perry Barr area of the city, said they had been lucky the outcome was not worse.
He said: "People sent their children, a lot of them trusting the fact that the local authority had arranged this and made it secure.
"This could have been far far worse than it was, we are very very lucky.
"There was no real assessment of what the dangers were and how many people there could be."
Thousands of people turned out for the event, which was set to feature a host of chart-topping acts, including the Sugababes, Tinchy Stryder, Chipmunk, Little Boots and Alexandra Burke.
Code: http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_3563284.html?menu=