Putin offers condolences to Merkel over Duisburg festival tragedy

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has offered condolences to the German Chancellor Angela Merkel over a tragedy at the Duisburg Love Parade music festival on Saturday, where 19 people died and another 342 were injured when panic broke out in an over-crowded tunnel entrance to the festival.  

The Love Parade idea mastermind Dr. Motte, a prominent DJ and musician, puts the blame at the event organizers’ door. Unlike in previous years, this year the parade was held in an enclosed area in the old part of the city, between the main railway station building and the city internal motorway. This caused the stampede.