19 injured in stampede at Atlantic Beach festival

At least 19 people were injured early Sunday in a crowd stampede at the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival in Atlantic Beach, South Carolina, according to local authorities. The incident occurred just after 1 a.m. near a stage at the event, which is held annually over Memorial Day weekend.

Officials said the stampede was triggered when an individual suddenly began running through the crowd, causing a brief chain reaction that lasted only seconds. Authorities confirmed there were no fights, weapons, or direct threats to public safety. Horry County Fire Rescue classified the event as a mass casualty incident. All 19 people evaluated suffered non-life-threatening injuries, and three were transported to local hospitals for treatment. Officials did not rule out the possibility of additional victims who were not checked by first responders.

Atlantic Beach Interim Town Manager Titus Leaks said in a statement that police officers assigned to crowd control quickly calmed the panicked crowd and restored order. Once the situation was stabilized, the event resumed normal operations. “First and foremost, we want to express our sincere concern for anyone who was injured or...