In October of 2022, the world was shocked to hear the news of the 151 people who perished in a crowd rush during a Halloween celebration in Seoul, South Korea. As horrific as this tragedy was, it is far from the only time in history where this has happened. Here at History Collection, we’ve put together a list of some of the most infamous crowd crushes and human stampedes.
The Louis XVI Fireworks Accident
On May 30th, 1770, thousands of French citizens were celebrating Marie-Antoinette’s marriage to Louis XVI. During a fireworks display, there was a sudden strong gust of wind that prevented several rockets from exploding in the air. These rockets began to fall to the ground towards the crowd of people who had gathered to watch the fireworks. This caused people to panic. Thousands of people began to run towards the Rue Royale, which was a very narrow street. There wasn’t enough room for people to get through easily, which caused many people to be crushed by a stampede. The official government death toll was 133 people, but the reality is probably much higher. Many people suffered permanent injuries which caused them to pass later on. Some reports estimate the toll could have been as high as 1,200 to 3,000 people.