Fatal Stampede

Hinduism, is a very popular religion that is practice around many areas to this day. Most Hindus tend to live in the middle east and neighboring countries. There is a pilgrimage that Hindus take as a practice of their religion, they endure a long period of traveling by walking, and do it to be cleanses of sins and replenished by faith. In Allahabad, India, there was a terrible tragedy that occurred today. As people thousands of pilgrims arrived to the banks of the Ganges and Yamuna rivers a nearby stampede traveled their way. 30 people were killed, and several others were injured. The dead bodies were covered in white sheets, and some appeared to be young children. People were devastated by the event and were even more frustrated by the fact that the police didn't get involved soon enough.

I think that this is a very sad story. I think that the police should've had a plan in case this occured because this is not the first time that a stampede has broken out during the pilgrimage.  1840, 1906, 1954 and 1986 were also other dates where many fatalities occured due to the outbreak of a stampede. You'd think by now the people or police would have some sort of protection for those who are attending the pilgrimage! It's outrageous how many people still go to the voyage aside from the recent deaths. I'd be scared to participate in this, but it truly shows how strong faith is in the world. 


http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/11/world/asia/deadly-stampede-at-the-hindu-festival-kumbh-mela.html?hp&_r=0

Fireworks lead to mass death in China

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9841381/Fireworks-explosion-kills-26-in-China.html

Fireworks, a clash of sparks and colors, a way of celebration, but also very deadly. In central China, there was a truck that was reported to have been loaded with firecrackers, that deployed and caused a huge scene of smoke, and destruction. This explosion occured near Sanmenxia in the Henan province, which caused many vehicles to fly off the (nearly) 100 foot bridge. The truck was loaded with many fireworks because it was Lunar Year and the people driving it were transporting these lethal explosives to a nearby area. Although the number of casualties is still unknown but many have been reported dead and or injured in nearby hospitals. The explosion led to the destruction of the Yahing bridge which has created a large amount of debris surrounding the area, and the south side of the bridge collapsed while the north side is still very unstable. 

I was very surprised and shocked by this story. I was astounded by the amount of destruction the firecrackers created, and I was devastated by the number of casualties. I think that fireworks are great, and very amazing things to gaze at, but the extent of how careless people have become causes them to be lethal. I assume that many of us have either lit a firecracker or watched one, and we can all say that they're pretty cool. It's also very important to realize it's dangers and downsides, because if you overlook the cautious instructions then you could lose a limb, or even your life. These days, it seems that our generation has been avoiding safety for some reason. For example, not wearing your seat belts, I mean its the logical thing to do, so why haven't we found a way to avoid tragedies like these? I want to know what set off the firecrackers, because the stories that I've read haven't really clarified that, but anyways my prayers go out to the families and friends of those affected by the explosion.