Effect of weather on crowd motion accidents
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Objective: In the context of safety at mass gatherings and urban environments, the fatal accidents caused by human crowd movement at mass events and the correlation between weather have been analyzed.Methods: Data on fatal crowd accidents at mass gatherings (2000-2024) were collected. Descriptive analysis and multivariate linear regression models were conducted to analyze the data. A total of 161 fatal crowd accident data from 65 countries were analyzed.Results: The majority of fatal accidents (61%, n=98) occurred in countries with higher population densities (>62 people/km²). On the days of the accidents, the apparent temperature was 0.43 to 0.95°C higher compared to the three days before and after the events. In 59.74% of cases (46/77), the Humidex was above the high discomfort threshold (>30°C) on the day of the accident. We found a weak linear correlation between the number of fatalities, attendance, and vapor pressure in the period following the accidents and on the day of the accident.Conclusions: In light of the heightened risk of accidents at mass gatherings during adverse weather, risk prevention services and governmental bodies must enact specialized, coordinated measures to mitigate such occurrences. A comprehensive analysis of atmospheric conditions is paramount in preventing accidents.
Source: Progress in Disaster Science
Authors: Dóra Edelmann, Ágota Drégelyi-Kiss, Tibor Goda
Institution: Obuda University
Language: English
Subfield: Ocean Engineering
Field: Engineering
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,120
OpenAlex ID: W4415629142