2009 Millennium Point stampede

Crowd crush in Birmingham, England April 2022 The 2009 Millennium Point Concert Stampede was a crowd crush incident which occurred during a November 15, 2009 holiday event outside of the Millennium Point complex in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Hundreds of people broke through a temporary crowd control barrier causing various injuries to fans during the annual Christmas Lights Switch-On event,https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/8360560.stm Dozens hurt in lights switch-on BBC News 14 November 2009 23 April 2010 while the band JLS were performing. The event The free event, organised by 96.4FM BRMB and Birmingham City Council, was to start at 2 pm, followed by the Christmas Lights Switch-on at 7.30 pm and finishing with a fireworks display.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/253933.stm BBC News Jail conditions attacked 13 January 1999http://entertainment.stv.tv/showbiz/61284-jls-cause-stampede JLS cause stampede The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Ben Bradshaw and the city council's Cabinet Member for Leisure, Sport & Culture, Martin Mullaney blamed the tragedy on bad weather and a failure of the fencing for the incident. However, local MP for Perry Barr, Khalid Mahmood pointed toward the Birmingham City Council's lack of preparedness.http://www.mns.co.uk/01219831.html Birmingham Christmas Lights Stampede 2016-03-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20101126125503/http://www.mns.co.uk/01219831.html 2010-11-26 deadhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/6574452/JLS-Christmas-lights-injuries-Council-defends-organisation.html https://web.archive.org/web/20091118012751/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/6574452/JLS-Christmas-lights-injuries-Council-defends-organisation.html dead 18 November 2009 JLS Christmas lights injuries: Council defends organisation London The Daily Telegraph 15 November 2009 Steve Hollingworth, assistant director of sports and events at Birmingham City Council said the event had been organised and prepared properly.http://www.paltelegraph.com/world/uk-news/2841-uk-60-injured-in-christmas-lights-ceremony UK: 60 Injured in Christmas Lights Ceremony 2016-03-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20091120092107/http://www.paltelegraph.com/world/uk-news/2841-uk-60-injured-in-christmas-lights-ceremony 2009-11-20 usurped Mahmood said the council should have made access to the event by ticket-holders only, and that ticketless fans should not have been admitted and compared the situation to the 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster, where 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death. All parties agreed that the late surge of fans from outside of the main event was poorly handled and that the council could have erected plasma TV screens outside the event for those unable to get in. An independent report by a health and safety consultant placed the final blame on Birmingham City Council's choice of fencing. The usual solid fencing was deemed unsafe in the high winds and so was replaced by see-through temporary fencing that morning. Despite this, the report concluded that pre-planning for the event was "satisfactory". It was believed that members of the public could see spaces in the crowds appearing through the see-through fence and decided to climb over, resulting in the fence collapsing and causing the subsequent surge and injuries.http://www.birminghammail.net/news/birmingham-news/2010/07/08/christmas-lights-fiasco-blamed-on-see-through-fence-97319-26807949/2/ Christmas lights fiasco blamed on see-through fence Birmingham Mail Council preparation Because a free pop music concert and fireworks show was planned, sections of Millennium Point were fenced off. Either marshals and/or police were stationed at a few points so as to prevent any minor crimes, like pickpocketing. Trouble breaking out may have been contributed by party-goers becoming over-excited, plus the unofficial presence of alcohol.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/8361023.stm Concert-goers condemn crush chaos 15 November 2009 BBC News 15 November 2009https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/8360560.stm Dozens hurt in lights switch-on 14 November 2009 BBC News 15 November 2009 "'This could have been another Hillsborough'", BBC NEWS, 15 November 2009, webpage: BBC240. http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2009/11/15/birmingham-christmas-lights-disaster-mp-feared-another-hillsborough-tragedy-66331-25169571/ Birmingham Christmas lights disaster: MP feared another Hillsborough tragedy Aspinall Adam 15 November 2009 Sunday Mercury 15 November 2009https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/6574452/JLS-Christmas-lights-injuries-Council-defends-organisation.html https://web.archive.org/web/20091118012751/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/6574452/JLS-Christmas-lights-injuries-Council-defends-organisation.html dead 18 November 2009 The Daily Telegraph London JLS Christmas lights injuries: Council defends organisation 15 November 2009 23 April 2010 http://uk.news.launch.yahoo.com/dyna/article.html?a=/091117/340/itkp4.html&e=l_news_dm JLS crush investigation Birmingham City Councillor Martin Mullaney later stated it was a failure of the fencing at Millennium Point which was the main problem, since the wind broke the solid-steel fencing down during the night, and it was then replaced with Heras fencing, as used on building sites, and extra security personnel.https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/8360891.stm 'Something bad was going to happen' Have Your Say BBC News 15 November 2009 15 November 2009 http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=83878 Birmingham to learn lessons from concert crowd surge Arun Marsh 2016-03-16 https://web.archive.org/web/20120303143759/http://www.localgov.co.uk/index.cfm?method=news.detail&id=83878 2012-03-03 dead According to reports, about 20,000 to 21,000 (officially) or 27,000 people (police estimates) arrived for the show at Millennium Point, which had been expecting to attract just 5,000 fans,https://www.telegraph.co.uk/topics/christmas/6570224/Sixty-people-hurt-in-crush-to-see-JLS-at-Christmas-lights-event-in-Birmingham.html Sixty people hurt in crush to see JLS at Christmas lights event in Birmingham Johnston Ian 14 November 2009 The Telegraph 15 November 2009 Londonhttps://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/7772341.stm Fans hurt at X Factor group's gig 9 December 2008 BBC News 16 November 2009http://www.sundaymercury.net/news/midlands-news/2009/11/15/birmingham-christmas-lights-disaster-mp-feared-another-hillsborough-tragedy-66331-25169571/ Sunday Mercury - Latest news updates, pictures, video, reaction - Birmingham Live not the 15,000 and 20,000 Birmingham City Council had expected to arrive. The venue had a capacity of 5,000 people, and it was recognised that things would become overcrowded. References 30em Millennium Point stampede Category:Human stampedes in the United Kingdom Millennium Point stampede Millennium Point stampede Category:Concerts in Birmingham, West Midlands