At least 78 people have died in a stampede in Yemen’s capital Sanaa as hundreds gathered in a school to receive aid, witnesses and Houthi media said on Thursday, reported Reuters. Houthi rebels say that dozens more were injured in the incident. Several videos of the incident showing people running in large numbers and dead lying on the floor are doing rounds on social media. A crowd of people can be seen jammed together, some screaming and shouting and reaching out to be pulled to safety. Reuters cited Al Masirah TV television news outlet run by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement as reporting that 13 persons are in critical condition. Al Masirah TV mentioned the director of health in Sanaa gave the information on the injured.
Shocking images of the stampede that killed 78 people in #Sanaa #Yemen pic.twitter.com/OrfFNP0AUy
— Sami AL-ANSI سـامي العنسي (@SamiALANSI) April 20, 2023
The stampede took place during the distribution of charitable donations by merchants in the final days of the holy month of Ramadan, the Houthi-controlled Ministry of Interior’s spokesperson said in a statement, Reuters mentioned in the report.
At least 76 were killed & 66 others were injured in a stampede during the distribution of financial assistance in Sanaa, Yemen 🇾🇪
It started when Houthi militants fired at people gathering to receive financial assistance, causing a stampede that resulted in dozens of casualties https://t.co/asLRGd68ig pic.twitter.com/8Hq9jEyVXN
— Saad Abedine (@SaadAbedine) April 19, 2023
The report mentioned that hundreds of people had crowded into a school to receive the donations, which amounted to 5,000 Yemeni riyals, or about $9 per person.
The interior ministry added, as quoted by Reuters, that the two merchants responsible for organising the donation event had been detained and an investigation was underway.
