78 People Die In Stampede During Ramadan Charity Event In Yemen

At least 78 people have been killed in a stampede at a Radaman charity event in Yemen’s capital, Sanaa.

It was gathered that the stampede occurred on Wednesday night just days before the Eid al-Fitr festival, killing at least 78 people and injuring at least 73 others.

The incident happened in a school in the Bab al-Yemen district of Sanaa where hundreds of people gathered to get a charitable donation of about $10 that was being handed out by merchants to mark the final days of Ramadan.

A video posted by Houthi television on the Telegram messaging app showed a crowd of people jammed together, some screaming and shouting and reaching out to be pulled to safety. Security staff fought to push people back and control the crowd.

Separate footage released by the Houthis, who control the capital, showed bloodstains, shoes, and victims’ clothing scattered on the ground while investigators examined the area.

Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi supreme revolutionary committee, said it was the result of the Yemeni people suffering “the worst global humanitarian crisis” after eight years of fighting.

“We hold the countries of aggression responsible for what happened and for the bitter reality that the Yemeni people live in because of the aggression and blockade,” al-Houthi said on Twitter.

There were also claims that the crowd had been startled by gunfire and an electrical explosion.

Armed Houthis fired into the air in an attempt at crowd control, apparently striking an electrical wire and causing it to explode, according to two witnesses, Abdel-Rahman Ahmed and Yahia Mohsen.

The incident sparked panic, and people, including many women and children, began stampeding, they said.

Abdel-Khaleq al-Aghri, a spokesperson for the Houthi-run Interior Ministry, blamed the crush on the “random distribution” of funds without coordination with local authorities.

The interior ministry said the two merchants responsible for organizing the donation event had been detained and an investigation was underway.

The Houthis announced they would pay some $2,000 in compensation to each family who lost a relative, while the injured would get about $400.

At least 73 of the injured were taken to the al-Thowra Hospital in Sanaa, according to hospital deputy director Hamdan Bagheri, with families rushing to hospitals looking for their loved ones.

KanyiDaily had also reported how 151 people were killed in a chaotic stampede during Halloween celebrations in Seoul, South Korea’s capital.