Aug. 26 (UPI) — At least 12 people are dead and dozens more are injured after getting caught up in a stampede in Madagascar during the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games, officials said.
The stampede occurred as thousands of people scrambled to get inside the main entrance of the Kianja Barea Mahamasina Stadium in the capital city of Antananarivo Friday evening.
“The provisional toll shows 12 dead and some 80 injured,” Prime Minister Christian Ntsay told reporters outside a local hospital.
More than 50,000 people were reportedly attempting to get into the multipurpose stadium, which has a capacity for rugby of just over 40,000.
The actual number of injuries was still being calculated but had risen past 80, French-language L’express De Madagascar reported Saturday.
“There are about 50,000 of us in the stadium. But a tragic event occurred because there was pushing and shoving. There were injuries and deaths at the entrance,” President Andry Rajoelina said during a news conference Friday.
This is not the first time an event at the stadium has turned deadly because of the crowd.
In 2018, one person died and 40 others were hurt during a stampede ahead of an Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match.
In June of 2019, 15 people were killed and another 80 injured during a stampede at the stadium during a concert.
