QUESTION: Crowds and mass events: what to do in case of panic/a crush?

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When finding oneself in conditions of spontaneous panic or a dense crush at a mass event, every person must act with extreme coolness to preserve their life and health. To avoid succumbing to common fear and making the right decisions on time, it is recommended to use proven principles of planning and distributing one's attention in stressful circumstances.

Just as travelers use the seventy-thirty rule, where the major part of the route is clearly fixed and the remaining part is left to spontaneity, in a crowd you must strictly control seventy percent of your space and movements. Be sure to stay closer to the edges of the flow, avoid the central part of the dense crowd, and monitor the behavior of surrounding people to notice warning signs in advance.

If a crush nevertheless begins to build up, use the remaining thirty percent of flexibility to quickly adapt to the situation and find safe shelter. Security specialists recommend following simple steps:
1. Protect your chest by bending your arms at the elbows and pressing them to your torso to avoid suffocation from compression.
2. Get rid of anything that can catch on other people, including long scarves, cross-body bags, and hanging clothing elements.
3. Under no circumstances bend down if you drop something, and try to stay on your feet by any means using the flow of movement diagonally toward the exit.

QUESTION: Crowds and mass events: what to do in case of panic/a crush?

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