Update:

Unfortunately, another young girl of 21 years old died tonight in hospital, because of her severe injuries. Now 20 people lost their lives…

As well, I have to correct my statement:
Paul and I had a long talk this evening, we tried to understand what happened and at what time we actually have been in the tunnel/ entrance area.

I don’t know how to say this, but Paul and I, we actually were in that massive crowd. In the beginning of videos  on the news you can see some lines of people going to the right towards the party (main area). The others went left and wanted to get out. People crossed us and climbed up the wall, we didn’t recognise why and just said to each other that climbing up the wall is ridiculous and dangerous.

Somehow, we lost each other several times and found each other again. People were leaving so we thought the crowd will be less in some time, but we didn’t know that behind us the entrance/exit out of the tunnel was closed. Also we figured out that we didn’t went up to the main area along the actual (entrance) ramp. We got to the main area via the second ramp which was opened just before the crowd paniced. It must have all happened behind our backs while we tried to get to the main area, out of the massive crow. We were just happy to breath again and not being pushed  so heavily anymore. That people died, we didn’t know this until we had some seconds of service/network around 11pm.

Why didn’t we figure this out earlier? Well, we both needed time to first answer all the calls, messages etc. of family and friends and needed a day off the media which is ripping everything into little peaces. After we figured out where we actually have been, I felt terrible and shocked again. I´m so grateful and happy that Paul and I made it through the crowd.

Livia

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I was very excited for Saturday – the Loveparade was on again. An event where people meet, celebrate and dance in peace.

For us, we actually had a great time until we had some seconds of connection and read the news. 11pm the Loveparade was abruptly stopped, people got angry sure, because they didn’t say anything about why at the announcement. I just had a strange feeling in my tummy. And my thoughts were right. The organisers stopped the Loveparade, because of a horrible happening. People had died.

 I will try to write down for you what happened while I have been there, because so many of you were asking anxiously.

You may think and question – why didn’t they do this earlier stop the event earlier the day. Well, imagine there was already a huge massive crowd in panic and all the others round about 800.000 people hear the news and start walking to the exit to leave due to more panic or anxiousness. The result of it would have been even worse.

As for me, there were so many police man, special force, and security everywhere, lots of toilets, food and drink spots. At the main area still lots of space during the day. The idea of the path from the main station to the party area was actually good, too. People had to walk two separate 2km long ways till they would reach the entrance. So they crowd would spread along the way. Before you could reach the actual entrance people had to pass a tunnel. There it was narrow for all people and at with this spot the entrance/exit the organisors made a big mistake in my point of view!

When Paul and I had passed the tunnel, we already had a massive crowd to overcome in front of a small entrance. When we reached the beginning of the tunnel we could breathe, but then we went further and so many people were passing us about to leave. There again was such a huge crowd, that even I had an anxious feeling in my tummy and we were happy when we reached the main area. It wasn’t funny at all. But the gates were open. So we thought it will get less crowded, because most people were leaving.

After that bit of way we had an amazing time, dancing on one of the floads and we were standing first row at the main stage, waiting for ATB, David Guetta and Westbam to turn the tables. (I may upload some pictures of our good time, but not soon.) The sun was shining and we meet people from America, Nicaragua and other places. No sign of what was happening some metres away. The network and cellphone connection broke down, but that happens most of the itme at such events.

What started with a nice day ended in a tragedy!

I barely can describe what happened, because so much did happen along the tunnel and the passage up to the main area and we passed it half an hour before the actual happening.

Too many people had to wait, pushed forward, were climbing up the walls to free themselves. As far as I read and saw it on the news they had to close down one spot, because of too many people, but still people wanted to leave and more were about to come. Well, as people started to climb up the walls some fell down and the panic started. Literally people were tramped to death.

The number is horrifying, 16 people died on the spot and 3 more of their severe injuries. More than 300 people still have severe injuries. As soon as we found out the horrible news via Pauls’s iphone, we had seconds of connection, our mood dropped. The event was stopped at 11pm and we walked back along the motorway to the main station. While we had connection I received so many messages and calls of my family and friends.

It was all surreal.

I woke up this morning, had a hard time sleeping last night. During the morning still friends wrote me messages, emails and even my cousin from UK called me. Also, I watched the news and started to understand what actually happened and tears were running down my face… I’m shocked and feel terrible, while I was dancing some metres away people were dying.

The Loveparade always was an event of people coming together celebrating. At the beginning of the press conference they announced to close the Loveparade forever in compassion for all the families, which is the only right thing to do after such tragedy! Unfortunately, people from China, Italy, the Netherlands and Australia are amongst the death as well as people from here. This should have never happened to anyone!

I’m very sorry for your worries. Thank you all for having me in your thoughts, for all of your messages, calls and hopes that everything will be alright. I’m so grateful to have such good friends all over the world!

My compassion and heart goes out to all the families and friends of those people who died! Rest in peace.

Livia