At least 12 killed, 80 injured in stampede at stadium in Madagascar capital Antananarivo
Barea stadium stampede
At least 12 people were killed, and 80 others injured on Friday (August 25th) in a stampede at a stadium in the Madagascar capital of Antananarivo.
The stampede, as per a Xinhua News Agency report citing government sources, happened at the entrance to the Barea stadium in the Madagascan capital, prior to the opening ceremony of the 11th Indian Ocean Games.
Talking to reporters at a hospital in Antananarivo, the nation's Prime Minister Christian Ntsay said: "The provisional toll shows 12 dead and some 80 injured."
How it happened
As per AFP, the stampede occurred at the entrance of the Barea stadium, where a crowd of some 50,000 spectators were there for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games.
Red Cross said that the toll which currently stands at 12 may climb. The cause for the stampede is not clear as of now.
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Talking to AFP, Antsa Mirado, a communications manager with the Red Cross speculated that "There were a lot of people at the entrance," this as per him may have triggered a stampede.
The aftermath
In a televised speech, Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina called for a minute of silence for the victims.
Rajoelina, who was present at the opening ceremony, said: "A tragic event occurred because there was pushing. There were injuries and deaths at the entrance."
TV broadcasts show people looking disoriented and surprised as they search for their shoes amid belongings that were scattered during the tragic stampede.
Pictures from within the stadium, shared on social media, show the stands packed with spectators ahead of the Island Games' opening.
The Indian Ocean Island Games are a multidisciplinary sports competition that will be held in Madagascar until September 3rd. For the past 40 years, these games have been organised every four years across various islands in the south-west Indian Ocean. The last edition of the games was held in Mauritius.
(More to follow)
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