Wuppertal Expertise in high demand internationally: Transportation Expert Jürgen Gerlach interviewed about the disaster in Seoul.

09.11.2022|16:00 Uhr

Prof. Jürgen Gerlach, who heads the Department of Road Traffic Planning and Technology at the University of Wuppertal, participated as an expert witness in the court proceedings following the Loveparade disaster in July 2010. In a South Korean news report, the scientist discusses the parallels between the tragedy in Duisburg and the mass panic in Seoul on October 31, 2022. Additionally, the article, published in early November, explores the question of how such disasters can be prevented in the future.

After examining the images of the South Korean disaster site, Prof. Gerlach expressed his surprise. "The fact that there are high walls on the left and right, narrow spaces in the middle, and only a few exits on the sloping street is similar", the expert is quoted as saying. He adds, "There is a high risk of people stumbling in such a confined situation on a ramp or a sloping street."

The Itaewon disaster occurred when people crowded into a sloping alley near a hotel with a width of 3.20 meters and a length of 40 meters. Prof. Gerlach commented in the interview, "It is very difficult to intervene, even when attempting to control the pressure of the crowd when a confined space is already filled with masses of people."

„The worst can happen very quickly.“

In the newspaper report, the scientist also explains how such disasters occur and emphasizes that 'the worst can happen very quickly.' The article also highlights the measures taken in Germany after the Loveparade disaster. New guidelines, according to Gerlach, included determining how many people could gather in a specific area and how to plan such a gathering in advance to prevent dangerous situations from arising.

When asked how to prevent such disasters, Prof. Gerlach responds, "While we should also focus on the day of the event, we should primarily prepare and plan the event's safety carefully months in advance." He emphasizes that multiple "scenarios" should typically be created, outlining individual measures and responsibilities in advance. In Germany, he explains, responsible individuals and organizations are now designated in advance of an event, such as representatives from city administrations.

The Hankyoreh press agency conducted a written interview with Prof. Jürgen Gerlach, and the original article was published on November 6th, available here.

You can read the article translated into German here.

For the english version of the newspaper article please use the provided link.

Contact:
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Gerlach
Department of Road Traffic Planning and Technology in Teaching and Research
E-Mail jgerlach[at]uni-wuppertal.de