Today is the 131st anniversary of one of the saddest events in British History. The Victoria Hall disaster in Sunderland saw nearly two hundred children lose their lives in a tragic stampede.
The Victoria Hall was a concert venue near Mowbray Park in Sunderland. On 16th June, 1883, the hall hosted a variety show for children.
As the show finished, it was announced that prizes would be given to a number of children, according to their ticket numbers. Tickets would be checked as they exited. Meanwhile, some of the entertainers started to distribute gifts to youngsters in the stalls. Not wanting to miss out, children from the gallery started to rush down the staircase.
With the doorway at the bottom of the stairs only being wide enough to allow one person access at a time (to make it easier to check the tickets), those at the front were crushed by the crowd behind them. A total of 183 children died from compressive asphyxia. They were between the ages of three and fourteen. A memorial was later erected in Mowbray Park.
The Victoria Hall was destroyed by a German bomb in World War II.
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