Build a solid safety line while studying abroad
Our reporter Zhou Shuyun
“People’s Daily Overseas Edition” (n. 08, 10 November 2022)
Recently, a large-scale crowd gathered in Itaewon, Yongsan District in central Seoul, South Korea, due to a Halloween event, which resulted in a serious stampede incident. Up to 156 people were killed and many injured, including Chinese students in South Korea.
This incident also drew attention to the safety of studying abroad. Students who are abroad must be familiar with the various security risks and understand the relevant measures to effectively deal with the situation. Keep safety first in mind and always tighten the thread of studying abroad on safety.
How to avoid the danger in the event of a stampede
Wang Luqiao was studying at Kyung Hee University in South Korea. On the day of the accident, she and her friends met in Itaewon. Wang Luqiao recalled: “There were too many people that night. I was deeply impressed that many people took up the street to dance and have fun, attracting large numbers of people to stop and cheer, which caused the popularity of people came in slower, and people get attached to people. Moving on, my friend and I met an hour later than expected. Exit 1 of the Itaewon subway station was closer to the incident and it was full of people. My friend and I decided to leave. Yes, about 10 minutes after we left, the incident happened, “Wang Luqiao said.
Video of the scene showed that the stampede took place in a narrow alley near the Hamilton Hotel in downtown Itaewon-dong. The alleys are not only narrow and sloping, but when the flow of people from top to bottom meets the crowds passing through the exit of the subway station below, the travel speed is slower, which further increases the risk of crowding and stampede, which ultimately leads to tragedy.
If Chinese students face a sudden stampede abroad, how should they protect themselves? Wang Xuejun, an international safety education expert, gave advice: “In places with limited space and a dense crowd, if the crowd is crowded and students feel there is danger of being trampled, they should first consider. leave as soon as possible. The injuries caused in escape accidents are mainly due to crushing of people. When the chest cavity loses its expansion space, it will lead to crushing suffocation. If you are caught in a dense crowd that cannot advance or withdraw, make sure that the neck and chest cavity are not squeezed, you can hold your left wrist with your right hand, put your elbows on your chest and put your hands on your chest.Close a fist on the chin to form a stable “triangle” in front of the chest. You can also use the “Human Mack Method” with people around you to shout “back” together rhythmically and send a warning signal to allow more people to withdraw and evacuate, thus preventing stampede accidents “.
Traffic risks cannot be ignored
Studying abroad, away from family members, foreign students have to face the new and complicated environment alone. Among them, road safety is an important aspect of studying abroad.Chinese students are often not familiar with local traffic laws, unfamiliar road conditions, dangerous driving behaviors, bad habits, etc., resulting in increased safety risks and frequent traffic accidents.
Recently, according to Canadian media, a pickup truck collided with a minivan on a highway near the city of Ayr, Ontario, Canada, killing two people and injuring many others. King’s College affiliated with the University of Western Ontario confirmed that the two deceased were Chinese students from the school. The college announcement said that due to this week’s vacation, the student was expected to have an accident while traveling. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.
Unfortunately, such incidents are not unique. A few months ago, an off-road vehicle overturned in a recreation area in Southern California, United States, killing a Chinese student in a car and injuring three other Chinese students. According to US media reports, police believed the vehicle in which the four students were traveling may have lost control on the way up and overturned or overturned. Located near the US-Mexico border, this recreation area is a frequent destination for extreme off-road enthusiasts for sand racing events. There have been many accidents and dangers here before.
There are thousands of roads and safety is the first priority. Two road accidents recently occurred in Waikato, New Zealand, resulting in the unfortunate deaths of two Chinese citizens and serious injuries to two others. The Chinese Consulate General in Auckland has issued a warning reminding Chinese citizens to respect traffic rules, be careful to avoid passing vehicles and not to drink and drive or use cell phones while driving. The announcement also highlighted that local roads in New Zealand are curvy and undulating and some road sections are in poor road condition. Driving habits and traffic rules are quite different from those in China. Driving with the right rudder and driving on the left, traffic safety risks cannot be ignored.
Prevent social security risks
“At the moment, there are many unstable factors in the international environment. Affected by the new coronal pneumonia epidemic, the social contradictions and the public security situation have become increasingly complex and worse and Chinese students are also facing greater challenges,” Wang Xuejun said, “For international students, you need to pay close attention to the national conditions of the place where you study abroad, as well as the environmental and public safety conditions in the areas surrounding the school and residence.”
Not long ago, a number of Chinese students suffered from flat tires while renting a car in Barcelona, Spain, to travel to other cities. It turned out that the criminal gang damaged the tires at the gas station and followed them all the way. After the tire blown, the criminal gang pretended to be a police officer to ask questions, wait for the opportunity to rob, and quickly leave after being successful. In this regard, the Chinese Consulate General in Barcelona reminds Chinese citizens to pay attention when refueling, using the toilets, catering and shopping in the freeway rest area, keeping personal belongings in hidden places of the car, always paying attention to the situation of the vehicle and paying attention if the environment surrounding the vehicle is not There are suspicious persons.
Such cases have also occurred frequently in other countries. Recently, there have been frequent public security cases in the Netherlands.The Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands issued an announcement reminding Chinese citizens in the Netherlands to pay particular attention to thefts and robberies at airports, train stations , in trains and hot spots, beware of gangs that commit crimes and avoid distracted attention Stolen property. If tourists rent a car to play, they should avoid putting valuables, especially electronic products, in the car or trunk when they leave the car. In case of emergencies such as theft and robbery, you should report the police in time and pay attention to the collection of clues.
Regarding how to prevent social security risks, Wang Xuejun suggested: “Keep away from relatively dangerous times, places and crowds. In a certain period, the night is more dangerous than the day, especially in the early morning, which is the period. more dangerous; from a regional perspective, Relatively Unsafe areas include areas not covered by cameras, remote locations, and confined, confined spaces. In the event of a robbery, the most important thing is to ensure your personal safety. You can temporarily compromise and show weakness until you are sure that you and the criminals are already in. After a safe distance, call the police in time.
[Direttore responsabile: Liu Yang]
