Indonesia: K-pop band's concert stopped after 30 faint in stampede
South Korea's popular K-pop band NCT 127 had to stop their first concert in Indonesia on Friday after nearly 30 people fainted in an apparent stampede during the event. Although no death was reported so far, it recalled the country's worst-ever stampede on football grounds, which killed over 170 people last month. South Korean capital Seoul too witnessed a similar incident during Halloween celebrations.
Incident occurred as fans rushed to the stage
According to police, the incident happened late Friday evening in the capital Jakarta when fans started surging forward to get closer to the stage. "Because of it, 30 people fainted. To prevent other incidents, we decided to stop the concert at 9.20 pm (1420 GMT)," said Endra Zulpan, the police spokesperson. However, he said the collapsed fans had already recovered.
Watch: Video of the chaos during NCT 127's concert
Band group addressing the fans
What did eyewitnesses say?
According to eyewitnesses, the boyband had been handing out freebies to fans just before the stampede. One of the fans told AFP that some people in the back pushed toward the stage until the barricade fences collapsed. "We are disappointed by those fans...they were so selfish. Just for good footage, they ignored other's safety," she said.
Second day of concert permitted, but under strict conditions
Meanwhile, authorities have allowed the second day of the concert to go ahead on Saturday, but banned the distribution of goodies to fans and required stricter measures to separate fans and performers. "To make amends for (the crush) and give the best experience, we will add more paramedics and security personnel for the Day 2 show," said concert organizer Dyandra Global Edutainment.
Fake bomb threat before the event
Per reports, a handwritten letter was delivered to the band group on November 3 claiming that there would be a bomb at the NCT 127 concert venue in Jakarta, Indonesia. However, nothing suspicious was discovered despite the staff members' quick action and the involvement of the local police. Later, they were apprehended by the police, who decided to question them.
Similar incidents in the past
Last weekend, police canceled the third day of the Berdendang Bergoyang music festival in Jakarta after nearly 30 people fainted due to overcapacity. That same day, more than 150 people were killed in a crowd surge at a Halloween party in Seoul. Last month, Indonesia saw the deadliest stampeded during a football match after police action killed over 170 people.
