Munich's Oktoberfest was briefly closed over the weekend after overcrowding sparked safety concerns, drawing criticism from some visitors over the handling of the situation, reported dpa.
"It was close to mass panic," one woman wrote on Instagram in response to a city post about the closure on Saturday, saying she feared being "trampled to death and knocked over." Another described the situation as "extremely dangerous," with people screaming and crying.
Some visitors also criticised a loudspeaker announcement urging people to leave the festival grounds without explanation, calling it "scaremongering."
The festival site was shut to new arrivals for about 30 minutes in the late Saturday afternoon after visitor flows peaked around the 5 pm table change, marking the shift from lunch reservations in the beer tents to the evening shift.
Witnesses and officials reported bottlenecks in which people could move neither forward nor back. Police urged people on social media not to come to the grounds.
Two visitors were treated for panic attacks, but there were no reports of injuries. Metro trains from the city centre also skipped the Oktoberfest stop as a precaution.
After about an hour, entrances were gradually reopened once crowds dispersed into the beer tents.
"The situation resolved itself as people went to their reservations in the tents," a festival spokeswoman said. "Once the crowd had spread out more evenly across the grounds, we were able to let people back in."
Despite the disruption, officials said their safety plan had worked. "Before it becomes an unpleasant situation, measures are taken," the city spokeswoman said.
The closure did not appear to dampen spirits, and announcements assured visitors that there was no danger. Police also posted warnings in English and Italian, with large numbers of Italians traditionally attending the world’s biggest beer festival on its middle weekend.
Temporary closures due to overcrowding are unusual but not unprecedented, city officials noted. Oktoberfest began on September 20 runs until October 5.
- Munich’s Oktoberfest
- Overcrowding
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
