9 person have been reported killed in a stampede at a party in central
Ghana to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a public official
told reporters today.
“We so far have nine people who are dead, six females and three
males,” said Nurudeen Hamidan, the head of the Asokore Mampong municipal
assembly, in the city of Kumasi.
There was no immediate comment from the police in the city,
which is 255 km northwest of the capital, Accra.
But Hamidan said three bodies have been identified so far and
six people were injured, one of them critically, and were receiving treatment
in hospital.
The party was organised on Wednesday at a community centre in
the Asawase area of Kumasi as the climax to the Eid al-Fitr festival, which
marks the end of a month of fasting and prayer.
Local member of parliament Mubarak Mohammed Muntaka said
carnivals were often held to celebrate the occasion but in the past have been
marked by clashes between youths.
Organizers had told police the carnival would end by 9:00 pm and a group, thought to number about 300, moved to the community
center, where a fight reportedly broke out, he added.
“In a bid for people to rush out… there was this stampede,” said
Muntaka, from President John Dramani Mahama’s National Democratic Congress.
But Hamidan said there were conflicting reports about the cause
of the tragedy and a security meeting had been called for Thursday afternoon to
determine what happened.
“People are saying so many things. Some are saying that there
was a lights out and the meter sparked and the sound of the meter made people
agitated,” he said.
“Others are saying that they finished the programme, they were
leaving and there was a stampede along the way.
“As to what caused the actual stampede the security agencies are
working to unravel what happened and we will take it on from there.”
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