By India Today World Desk: At least 85 people were killed in Yemen’s capital Sanaa on Thursday in a stampede as hundreds gathered in a school to receive aid, said a report by The Guardian. A Houthi security official told the AFP news agency that more than 322 were injured in the crowd crush.
Videos on social media showed bodies piled up on the streets as emergency services tried to rescue any survivors. (Viewer discretion is advised for the following video as it may contain disturbing images)
Two witnesses of the incident told The Associated Press that the crowd was spooked after armed Houthis fired into the air in an attempt to control them and the bullet struck an electrical wire, causing it to explode. The panic from the gunfire led to the stampede, said the witnesses.
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People were trying to pull others out as bodies piled up against each other and they were left stuck with no way out.
Thursday’s incident is the deadliest incident in the country in years not related to its long-running war. The deadly incident came days ahead of the festival of Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
In the aftermath of the incident, the site of the incident was littered with abandoned shoes and other belongings of the people who were either injured or died in the stampede.
The Houthi-run interior ministry said it had detained two organisers and an investigation was under way. The ministry blamed the stampede on the “random distribution” of funds without coordination with local authorities.
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Published On:
Apr 20, 2023
