RIM stops new BB launch due to safety concerns

BlackBerry manufacturer Research in Motion (RIM) decided to halt the launch of the new Blackberry 9790 smartphone at Pacific Place mall in South Jakarta, following unnecessary crowd issues that led to 90 people being left unconscious and others suffering broken bones.

“We regretfully decided to close the launch to avoid further inconvenience and to ensure visitors’ safety,” said a RIM official statement, as quoted by kompas.com on Saturday. During the launch, RIM provided a 50 percent discount on the smartphone, reducing the price from Rp 4.6 million (US$509.13) to Rp 2.3 million for the first 1,000 buyers.

The discount apparently attracted thousands of prospective customers, coming from all over the capital. The worry of not being able to buy the new smartphone at half price led to people becoming impatient while queuing and they started to push one another.