Prayers for Music Festival Victims

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
28 Jul 2010

Festival Young people pouring out of the tunnel

The Pope has expressed his deep sorrow over the deaths of 20 young people at the annual Love Parade electronic music festival in Germany last week.

Benedict XV1 was speaking from his summer residence, Castel Gandolfo.

The music festival was staged in an old industrial railway station yard with only one entrance and exit - a 300 metre-long tunnel.

Among those killed was one Australian girl however more than 500 were injured.

Authorities believe the panic may have been started outside the tunnel when some festival-goers tried to jump over a barrier, falling several metres.

This sparked panic as people tried to scramble from one end of the tunnel  while others poured in the other end. Hundreds were caught in the crush.

It was the 21st anniversary of the festival but this were event organisers are being blamed for poor planning.

Treating victims hours after the disaster

Disaster survivors
at the Love Parade music festival in Germany