Hillsborough disaster facts for kids
The Hillsborough disaster was a very sad event that happened during a football match. It took place at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield, England, on 15 April 1989. During an FA Cup semi-final game between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest, a dangerous crowd crush occurred. This happened in the standing-only areas of the Leppings Lane stand, where Liverpool fans were.
Sadly, 96 people died because of the crush. Another 766 people were also hurt. This event is known as the worst stadium disaster in British history.
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Investigating the Disaster
Years later, in 2009, the British government set up a group called the Hillsborough Independent Panel. Their job was to look closely at what happened during the disaster. On 12 September 2012, the panel shared their findings. They also created a website with a huge amount of information. This information came from many different groups and people.
What the Panel Found
The Hillsborough Independent Panel found that Liverpool fans were not to blame for the disaster. Instead, they said the main reason for what happened was a "lack of police control." They also found that safety for the crowd was not good at all levels. Problems with too many people in one area had been noticed even two years before the disaster.
The panel also believed that if emergency services had reacted and worked together better, up to 41 of the 96 people who died might have survived. For example, ambulances could not easily reach the injured people. This made the situation worse and led to more deaths.
Remembering the Victims
Today, there are special places to remember the people who died at Hillsborough. You can find a memorial at Hillsborough Stadium itself. There are also other memorials in places like Anfield, Liverpool's home stadium, and in the city of Liverpool. These memorials help make sure that the victims are never forgotten.
Images for kids
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The West Stand of Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough Stadium, where the disaster unfolded, seen two years later in 1991
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Leppings Lane was the sole access point for Liverpool supporters. The approach has been described as a "bottleneck" in which attendees had to fill two sides of the stadium.
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The Den, opened in 1993, became the first new stadium fully compliant with the safety recommendations of the Taylor Report.
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The Hillsborough memorial at Anfield
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Memorial at Hillsborough
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Memorial at Old Haymarket, Liverpool
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See also
In Spanish: Tragedia de Hillsborough para niños
