Los Olivos stampede: Difference between revisions

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A [[stampede|human stampede]] occurred in the [[Los Olivos District]] of [[Lima, Peru|Lima]], Peru on 22 August 2020, killing at least thirteen and injuring six others. The stampede was a result of a raid by the [[National Police of Peru]] on the Thomas Restobar nightclub to break up an illegal gathering amid the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Peru]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news|last1=de la Quintana|first1=Jimena|last2=Silva|first2=Daniel|date=23 August 2020|title=At least 13 people die in stampede, as police raid club breaking coronavirus restrictions|work=[[CNN]]|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/23/americas/peru-nighclub-covid-stampede-intl-scli/index.html|accessdate=23 August 2020}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|last=|first=|date=23 August 2020|title=13 Die in Peru Disco Stampede After Police Lockdown Raid|language=en-US|work=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/08/23/world/americas/ap-lt-virus-outbreak-peru-disco-stampede.html|url-status=live|access-date=23 August 2020|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

 

Peru is one of the countries most affected by the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], with over 576,000 confirmed cases of [[coronavirus disease 2019]] documented by 23 August 2020, and over 27,000 deaths attributed to the virus up to that date.<ref name=":0" /> To response to the pandemic, the Peruvian government banned large gatherings and enforced a 10:00{{nbsp}}p.m. [[curfew]].<ref name=":0" /> Nightclubs had been closed since March 2020 in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.<ref name=":1" />

 

Local authorities were dispatched to the Thomas Restobar nightclub after receiving complaints from residents that about twenty to thirty people were in the club in violation of the government's ban on gatherings.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|last=Acosta|first=Sebastián|date=22 August 2020|title=Los Olivos: Al menos 13 personas murieron tras una intervención policial en fiesta en una discoteca|url=https://rpp.pe/lima/actualidad/los-olivos-al-menos-10-personas-murieron-tras-una-intervencion-policial-en-fiesta-en-una-discoteca-noticia-1288141|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=23 August 2020|website=[[Radio Programas del Perú|RPP]]|language=es}}</ref> The crowd had instead amounted to over 120 people, with the authorities realizing this shortly after their raid began at about 9:00{{nbsp}}p.m. [[Time in Peru|PET]].<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> Peruvian authorities reported that police attempted to calmly disperse the gathering, though panicked guests [[Stampede|stampeded]] on the stairs from the second level when attempting to flee from the scene.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref name=":3" /> Police had to forcibly pull the doors of the club open with ropes attached to trucks due to the amount of people crowding the exit.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2">{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=23 August 2020|title=Policiales: Los Olivos: 13 muertos en discoteca durante intervención|url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/policiales/los-olivos-12-personas-perdieron-la-vida-en-una-discoteca-durante-una-intervencion-policial-fotos-nndc-noticia/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=23 August 2020|website=[[El Comercio (Perú)|El Comercio]]|language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Acosta|first=Sebastián|date=22 August 2020|title=Los Olivos: Al menos 13 personas murieron tras una intervención policial en fiesta en una discoteca|url=https://rpp.pe/lima/actualidad/los-olivos-al-menos-10-personas-murieron-tras-una-intervencion-policial-en-fiesta-en-una-discoteca-noticia-1288141|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=23 August 2020|website=[[Radio Programas del Perú|RPP]]|language=es}}</ref>

 

Authorities attempted to provide first aid and transported the injured to nearby hospitals, with twelve individuals dying in transit and another dying while hospitalized.<ref name=":2" /> At least thirteen people were killed and six were injured during the event.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":2" /> Twenty-three people were detained by police as a result of the incident,<ref name=":1" /> with fifteen of those arrested testing positive for coronavirus.<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=23 August 2020|title=Lima: Tragedia en Los Olivos: 15 contagiados de coronavirus entre los 23 det {{!}} NOTICIAS EL COMERCIO PERÚ|url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/tragedia-en-los-olivos-15-contagiados-de-coronavirus-entre-los-23-detenidos-en-la-discoteca-nndc-noticia/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=23 August 2020|website=[[El Comercio (Perú)|El Comercio]]|language=es}}</ref>

 

[[President of Peru|President]] [[Martín Vizcarra]] responded to the incident saying: {{Quote|I have different feelings and emotions as a person, as an authority, with these circumstances. Obviously I feel sorry and I have sadness for the people and relatives of the people who have lost their lives, but I also have anger and indignation for those responsible for organizing these types of events. [...] Please don't be irresponsible; don't expose people's lives. Those 13 lives could have been saved if we did not have this type of behavior [involving the] negligence of businessmen, who know that these types of events are prohibited.}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=23 August 2020|title=Lima: Martín Vizcarra sobre tragedia en Los Olivos: "Pedimos una investigaci {{!}} NOTICIAS EL COMERCIO PERÚ|url=https://elcomercio.pe/lima/martin-vizcarra-sobre-tragedia-en-los-olivos-pedimos-una-investigacion-rigurosa-al-ministerio-publico-y-sancion-para-los-propietarios-y-organizadores-de-evento-nndc-noticia/|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=23 August 2020|website=[[El Comercio (Perú)|El Comercio]]|language=es}}</ref> President Vizcarra also encouraged judicial authorities to punish those who had broken the law.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Press|first=The Associated|date=2020-08-23|title=13 Die in Peru Disco Stampede After Police Lockdown Raid|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2020/08/23/world/americas/ap-lt-virus-outbreak-peru-disco-stampede.html|access-date=2020-08-25|issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

 

Relatives of victims and those gathered at the club told Peruvian outlets that tear gas was deployed at the venue, though Peruvian authorities denied that any crowd control agents were dispersed.<ref name=":3" />

 

* [[Estadio Nacional disaster]]

* [[Victoria Hall disaster]]