[happygrl]

Pointless deaths.

[BlessedBeGod]

At least 14 people were killed and 30 were injured after a fight in a crowded South Side nightclub early this morning turned into a stampede, authorities said.

If you want to log in, you can go to Chicago Tribune Stampede Article .

If you don't want to log in, there's a shorter article at Chicago SunTimes Stampede Article .

[OXENinFLA]

http://wlsam.com/listenlive.asp

[mhking]

From WMAQ/NBC5 Chicago:

At Least 17 Crushed To Death In South Side Club Disturbance
At Least 19 People Hospitalized, In Critical Condition

POSTED: 5:01 a.m. CST February 17, 2003
UPDATED: 6:31 a.m. CST February 17, 2003

CHICAGO -- At least 17 people are confirmed dead, so far, after patrons of a south side night club became crushed while trying to exit through a single door. NBC5 reported the number of fatalities could go up to 21. In all, 65 people were transported to 11 hospitals.

The incident occurred at the E-2 nightclub and Epitome restaurant, at 2347 S. Michigan Ave, around 3:30 a.m. Monday. NBC5's Kim Vatis reported from the scene that some of the bodies were still inside the club shortly after 6 a.m.

Witnesses told Vatis that security guards responded to a minor fight between two women inside the club by spraying Mace or pepper spray, and the spray triggered a mass exodus.

The front and back doors of the club were chained shut, and patrons rushed for the stairs, crushing people to death.

Kristy Mitchell told Vatis she was one of the people trapped in the stairwell. She said she escaped serious injury but at times could not breathe in the crowd.

[templar]

1500 in a Night Club when it happened. 1000 Capacity

Take note of a dangerous situation to avoid. wonder if criminal carges against the club owners/managers are in order? In years gone by I've seen people mace each other in bar fights without an ensuing panic. Times have changed, I guess.

[Capt. Tom]

The old door trick they should have learned. This was the fire that changed the laws to protect people in crowded buildings

During the early days of World War II, a major fire struck the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, Massachusetts. On the night of the fire, November 28, 1942, the club had approximately 1,000 occupants, many of whom were people preparing to go overseas on military duty.

A lighted match used by an employee in changing a light bulb has been considered the possible cause for this tragic fire, which took 492 lives. Almost half of the occupants were killed, and many were seriously injured. Flammable decorations spread the fire rapidly. Men and women were reported to have clawed inhumanly in an effort to get out of the building. The two revolving doors at the main entrance had bodies stacked four and five deep after the fire was brought under control. Authorities estimated that possibly 300 of those killed could have been saved had the doors swung outward. It should be noted that the capacity of the structure had also been exceeded.

[dennisw]

Trampled underfoot. Kind of like going to a rap music Hajj.

This calls for a new verse to that song, "Because I got High"

[RightOnline]

Stampeding cattle. Pathetic.

[glock rocks]

on FOXNEWS now.

[oldvike]

3:30 in the morning on a Monday? Don't those people have jobs?

[finnman69]

Owners WILL be going to jail for chaining exit doors shut.

[Chad Fairbanks]

News reports now saying 21 dead...

[E Rocc]

It sounds like incredible negligence on the part of the owners:

-Only one exit? For a thousand person club? We have two and we might be able to fit 200 people. We're not worried about people trying to beat the cover, but you can always auto-alarm emergency exits.

-The security people put down pepper spray for a "minor fight"? Either they didn't have enough of them, they were horribly trained, or both.

Some serious feces is going to hit the rotation device, nationally, over this one. That may not be a bad thing.

-Eric

[Chi-townChief]

I've been in a few of these clubs here and a lot of them are potential firetraps. Seeing this on this news really makes you sick to your stomach especially when you consider these knuckleheads spraying pepper spray to break up two girls fighting.

I've seen Rev. Jackson on TV for the past hour trying to get in front of every camera that he can.

Say a real prayer for the dead and their families.

[AF68]

And Mayor Daley's top priority is to impose Chicago-style gun-control on downstate Illinois through his cronies in Springfield.

[Don Corleone]

First on the scene...Je$$e Jack$on!

[Maedhros]

[JustPiper]

It is right by police headquarters maybe 5-10 from downtown.