Ofterdingen and Kropotkin

biosphere 0.1 pre-alpha (extremely soft targets)

when ikea opened its biggest british store in north london last week, more than 6000 people descended, attracted by the promise of sofas, dining tables and bed frames at huge discounts.
as the glass doors opened at midnight, the crowd surged forward, overwhelming the meagre security presence and resulting in a frightening crush in which at least four people were injured.
there was further pandemonium inside, as shoppers raced and pushed each other to be the first to claim bargains. witnesses said they saw shoppers threatened with wooden mallets and fights breaking out over sofas.
nine ambulances were called. twelve people were treated for minor injuries and 20 suffered heat exhaustion. the event also caused traffic chaos, as shoppers abandoned their cars in gridlock.

guardian weekly, feb 16-24, 2005, p. 11

posted by Anonymous @ 9:27 pm