Yemen stampede: In one of the deadliest stampedes in Yemen, at least 85 people died and many others were critically injured in the capital city of Sanaa, Houthi officials said. Houthi rebel’s Al Masirah TV cited the director of health in Sanaa who said that 13 people were in a critical situation.
A spokesman of the Houthi-controlled ministry of interior’s said that the stampede took place during the distribution of charitable donations by merchants during the final days of Ramadan.
Calling it tragic, the spokesman said that hundreds of people had assembled into the school to receive donations. They were set to receive donations amounting to 5,000 Yemeni riyals- about $9 per person.
Two merchants who organised the donation event have been detained and an investigation was underway, the interior ministry said in a separate statement.
Women, children among dead
A Houthi security official said, “Women and children were among the dead.” He requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.
A video broadcast by Al Masirah TV channel showed a cluster of bodies packed together, with people climbing on top of each other to try to make their way through.
Many had their mouths covered by other people’s hands. The rest of their bodies engulfed by the dense crowd, the footage showed.
Armed fighters and distribution workers screamed at the crowd to turn back as they pulled people out of the stampede.
The dead and injured were moved to nearby hospitals and those responsible for the distribution were taken into custody.
The Huthi political chief Mahdi al-Mashat said a committee has been formed to investigate.
A Huthi security official said three people had been detained on suspicion of involvement.
Widespread poverty in Yemen
Families rushed to hospitals but many were not allowed as top officials were also visiting the dead and wounded.
Security forces were heavily deployed around the school where the incident took place. They blocked relatives from entering the facility to locate loved ones, reports said.
Footage aired on Al Masirah TV showed corpses strewn across the complex, which was littered with sandles and scraps of clothes after the area was cleared.
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