It is sad that poor planning most likely was the cause of this disaster.
Not that I am the brightest bulb on the string, but I do try to avoid large crowd scenes like that. I have probably missed out on some really cool events such as festivals and concerts as a consequence of this attitude. I grew up in the Los Angeles area and the press of people there finally was too much for me in my normal day to day life to withstand, so I moved to a more rural place quite some time back.
When too many people are packed into an area and then some meat-headed officials block access to those areas in a way that makes it impossible for people to exit the area, then disasters like this are likely to strike. Mob mentality psychology can also operate in large crowds in very bizarre ways as well no matter how well intentioned the majority of its individuals are.
Everything mentioned herein has been deemed by our staff of expert psychiatrists to be the delusional rantings of a madman who has been treated with Thorazine who is hospitalized within the confines of our locked facility. This patient sometimes requires the application of 6 point leather restraints and electrodes at the temples to break his delusions. Therefore, take everything mentioned above with a grain of salt...