Eleven dead in Zimbabwe stadium stampede
Dozens more injured in Kwekwe as thousands tried to leave stadium through same exit after prayer service ended.
At least eleven people have been killed and dozens injured in a stampede at a stadium in Zimbabwe, as thousands of people at a prayer service tried to leave through the same exit, police have said.
About 30,000 people were packed into a stadium in Kwekwe, 213km west of the capital Harare, on late Thursday evening to listen to Walter Magaya, a pastor who draws huge crowds, Senior Assistant Commissioner Shadreck Mubaiwa told the Reuters news agency.
When the service ended on Friday morning, the congregation rushed towards a single exit, triggering a stampede that killed four people at the stadium. Another seven were pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.
“Police tried to rescue people but they were overwhelmed by the crowds. It is unfortunate that people wanted to rush out, which made it difficult to contain the situation,” Mubaiwa said.