Stampede erupts at South Carolina biker festival, 19 injured in late-night chaos

At slightest 19 radical were evaluated for injuries aboriginal Sunday successful a "stampede" during the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival successful Atlantic Beach, South Carolina, officials said.

Emergency crews responded astir 1:05 a.m. adjacent a signifier country on South Ocean Boulevard aft reports of a stampede incident. None of the injuries appeared life-threatening, according to Horry County Fire Rescue.

"With the assistance of on-scene instrumentality enforcement, 19 patients were located and evaluated for injuries," Horry County Fire Rescue said. "… Three radical were transported to the infirmary with injuries, with the anticipation of others self-transporting to section hospitals."

Due to the fig of reported injuries, Horry County Fire Rescue declared a wide casualty incidental a designation utilized to coordinate exigency effect erstwhile aggregate patients necessitate evaluation.

AT LEAST 30 DEAD IN STAMPEDE AT THE MASSIVE MAHA KUMBH FESTIVAL IN INDIA, POLICE SAY

Emergency unit respond aft aggregate radical were evaluated for injuries pursuing a reported assemblage surge during the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival successful Atlantic Beach, South Carolina, aboriginal Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Horry County Fire Rescue via Facebook)

In a connection to Fox News Digital, the Town of Atlantic Beach said the incidental began erstwhile 1 idiosyncratic started running, triggering what officials described arsenic a "brief concatenation absorption wrong the assemblage that lasted lone seconds."

"We privation to explicit our sincere interest for anyone who was injured oregon impacted," the municipality said. "Any concern wherever individuals are harmed is taken seriously, and our thoughts are with those affected arsenic they recover."

Multiple instrumentality enforcement and exigency agencies were already stationed passim the lawsuit and responded immediately.

EMS crews treated injured attendees astatine the country earlier the festival resumed mean operations, officials said.

VIRAL TEEN TAKEOVERS UNLEASH CHAOS NATIONWIDE AS MALLS, BEACHES AND RESTAURANTS BECOME BATTLEGROUNDS

A presumption of South Ocean Boulevard successful Atlantic Beach, South Carolina, wherever authorities said 19 radical were evaluated for injuries aft a reported assemblage surge during the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival aboriginal Sunday, May 24, 2026. (Google Maps)

"At nary clip were determination immoderate confirmed fights, weapons, oregon nonstop threats to nationalist safety," municipality officials said. 

Several crowd-control measures had been implemented passim the weekend, including temporarily suspending incoming postulation into Atlantic Beach connected Friday nighttime and again Saturday evening.

"While immoderate incidental is unfortunate, it is besides important to admit that this isolated infinitesimal does not bespeak the wide occurrence of the event," the municipality said.

 "The Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival has been held for implicit 40 years and continues to pull visitors from crossed the state due to the fact that of the affirmative acquisition it provides."

MAJOR US CITY URGES RESIDENTS TO WORK FROM HOME THIS SUMMER FOR HIGHLY UNUSUAL REASON

Police lights are seen connected an exigency vehicle. Authorities successful Atlantic Beach, South Carolina, said 19 radical were evaluated for injuries aft a reported assemblage surge astatine the Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival aboriginal Sunday, May 24, 2026. (iStock)

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Officials said they volition proceed reviewing the incidental with nationalist information partners to place immoderate further information improvements.

The Black Pearl Cultural Heritage and Bike Festival is an yearly Memorial Day play motorcycle rally that the municipality says has been reported to gully crowds successful excess of 400,000 to the area, though those crowds tin overlap with broader Myrtle Beach-area Memorial Day play visitors, for concerts, parties, and different amusement events, according to the Town of Atlantic Beach website.

A spokesperson for Horry County Fire Rescue told Fox News Digital determination were nary further updates to share.