Panic is not the button to press in a crisis situation

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There are some hard lessons from the recent Kochi tragedy where four students lost their lives in a stampede. There is some light at the end of that tunnel though with the news that two students who were critically injured in the stampede at Cochin University's annual tech festival are now in a stable condition.

To give some context, Four people were killed and 60 were injured in the stampede that occurred before a singer Nikita Gandhi was to perform at a musical festival at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT). Apparently, sudden heavy rain caused some students standing outside to rush into the auditorium. The crush became unbearable and some young people fell down, with several trampling on them.

This shows us how important it is to maintain discipline during rush hours in this city. From our train subways to general conditions on our roads, the overcrowded conditions in Mumbai mean a ticking time bomb. Always maintain a file or queue. Avoid spreading panic by shouting unnecessarily in case of any event. Authorities must be crisp and clear while giving instructions. In case of a rush, do not panic and compound a worrisome situation.

In case some people have fallen to the ground, actually stop if possible and see if you can help them up. Otherwise, like-minded individuals can make a chain, or encircle them till help arrives quickly.

Ask for help, so that people know somebody is in need of help behind them and may respond. Like they clear a gangway or path for emergency vehicles, people must be disciplined and aware enough to move to the sides to give way in case somebody is in distress and has to be carried out. While all this is easier written than done, keeping one's wits about one and putting order and empathy on top will lead to defusing any crowd crisis or at least mitigating dangers.