At least eight women and three children were killed in a stampede at a Ramadan food distribution center in Pakistan's Karachi on Friday when the people waiting for their turn panicked and started pushing each other.
Also Read| China rolls over $2 billion loan to debt-ridden Pakistan
During the incident, some of the victims fell into the nearby drain while a wall collapsed, injuring and killing people amid the stampede, reported news agency AP. Videos of the incident shared on Twitter showed a bunch of slippers near a waterlogged pathway at the accident site while emergency teams took stock of the situation. In one of the clips, an ambulance and locals could be seen at the accident spot.
After today’s incident, the death toll from stampedes at free food centers across the country has risen to at least 21 since last week. The factory owner who organised the food distribution center had not alerted the police about the plan, said a police official.
{{/usCountry}}After today’s incident, the death toll from stampedes at free food centers across the country has risen to at least 21 since last week. The factory owner who organised the food distribution center had not alerted the police about the plan, said a police official.
{{/usCountry}}A local resident, who lives near the factory told AP that people had gathered since the morning to collect the free food and he does not know what exactly caused the incident, but “we heard cries and later learned about this stampede.”
The deadly incident comes a day after authorities ordered deployment of additional police at the Ramadan food distribution centers to avoid dangerous overcrowding.