The medical rescue service in the Zlín region received 120 calls during the night from Saturday to Sunday due to an incident at a disco in Slušovice in the Zlín region. Eight people were injured there. For rescue services, it is one of the most demanding interventions in recent years. The rescuers were dealing with the large number of injured people, the chaos, the psychosis of the on-site crowd, the paramedics had to proceed to the triage of the patients.
Five people who were injured in the most serious condition were taken to hospital by ambulance, while two patients are being treated in the hospital’s pediatric intensive care unit. The ages of the injured varied from 15 to 20 years, said the spokesman for the Zlín Region Medical Rescue Service, Jakub Omelka.
According to Czech Television, police have initiated criminal proceedings on suspicion of grievous bodily harm in connection with the accident at the Slušovice discotheque.
Police spokeswoman Monika Kozumplíková said that the stampede started on Saturday just before midnight on the steps before the entrance to the discotheque. Due to the large number of visitors who couldn’t get in or out, the stairs were full of young people. Panic arose among them and several of them were injured.
“The incident is being investigated by criminal investigators from Zlín. They have initiated criminal proceedings on suspicion of committing the crime of grievous bodily harm. The perpetrator faces up to four years in prison if convicted,” a police spokesperson said.
Unconsciousness and the “crush syndrome”
The first emergency call from the disco to line 155 was recorded by the rescue services operations center on Saturday at 23:27. “Three male and five female patients were treated. The degree of their injuries differed significantly,” said Omelka.
Some are drunk on alcohol. Serious injuries are characterized by unconsciousness and the so-called crush syndrome. This condition occurs after long-term compression of the soft tissues and subsequent release of proteins that clog the kidneys.
Dana Lipovská, spokesperson for the Tomáš Bata Regional Hospital in Zlín, said that five visitors to the disco are currently hospitalized. “All are minors. One is in serious condition, three are in moderate condition and one is under observation,” Lipovská said.
The doctor treats another adult on an outpatient basis, who is then sent home. Some of the little visitors brought to the hospital were diagnosed with mild alcohol poisoning by doctors.
Five ambulances arrived
Five ambulances gradually arrived at the discotheque in Slušovice. In addition, after handing over the patient at the hospital, the ambulance returned to the scene. One crew remains in place even after passing on the last patient in case someone else gets injured in the music club building. The program ends today at 02:00 Omelka pointed out.
Three fire departments also intervened at the crash site. “Upon the arrival of the fire department there were many people in the club. Eight of them were injured. The fire department provided first aid to some of the injured until the arrival of another ambulance. They then handed over the injured to the emergency medical services crew and further assisted them in their care,” Lucie Javoříková, spokeswoman for the fire department, said on social networks.
After the discotheque emptied out, firefighters and police inspected the interior once more for other injuries. “Fortunately, this was not confirmed. Throughout the intervening time, firefighters lit up the area in front of the club,” said Javoříková.
According to Omelka, the situation in the operations center is also very complicated. “An increasing number of telephone calls were recorded from the scene of the incident. The number of injured is only being determined from time to time, and operational management is sending additional crew to the scene of the incident,” added Omelka. In connection with the investigation into the circumstances of the accident, the police asked for the help of the public. He is interested in more detailed information about events or camera footage of the event. Witnesses can call the emergency number 158.
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