At Least 12 Fans Dead, Dozens Injured in Stadium Stampede at Opening Ceremony
A stampede at a stadium in Madagascar has left at least 12 people dead and 85 injured as sports fans attended the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games, authorities said Saturday.
Government spokesperson Lalatiana Rakotondrazafy said 33 of the injured remained hospitalized.
The stampede, on Friday at the Mahamasina Stadium in the capital of Antananarivo, happened as people gathered at an entrance for the opening of the regional multi-sports event.
Madagascar Prime Minister Christian Ntsay said Friday that 11 people were in critical condition following the stampede, which happened at about 4.30 p.m.
Ntsay visited victims at the hospital.
Spokesperson Rakotondrazafy did not give any update on those who were critically injured.
Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina was at the ceremony at Mahamasina Stadium and asked the crowd to observe a moment of silence.
The opening ceremony went ahead.
The stadium, built to hold about 41,000 people, has been the site of deadly crushes before.
One person died and at least 37 were injured in a stampede ahead of a qualifying game for the African Cup of Nations soccer tournament between Madagascar and Senegal in 2018.
In 2019, at least 15 people died in a stampede at a music concert at the stadium.
The Indian Ocean Island Games is a multi-sports event featuring nations from the region. Athletes from Comoros, Maldives, Mauritius, Mayotte, Reunion and Seychelles also compete at the games, which first were held in 1979.
Madagascar replaced original host the Maldives for this year’s edition, which is scheduled to run until Sept. 3.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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