According to CNN reported on the 20th, Liberian officials said that a stampede occurred in a church near the country's capital Monrovia during a Christian ceremony on the evening of the 19th, resulting in 29 deaths.
People gathered outside the hospital after the stampede Source: Reuters
Jalawah Tonpo, the country's deputy minister of information, told state radio on Thursday that the accident occurred at an all-night Christian service in the capital's suburb of Nova Kre. In an interview at a nearby hospital, he said, "Doctors say 29 people have died, some are still on a critical list." It's a sad day for this country. ”
A large number of shoes left behind at the scene of the stampede Image source: Reuters
A resident attending the service told Reuters that a mob rushed into the crowd and tried to commit a robbery, followed by a stampede. The resident said, "We saw a group of people with machetes and other weapons coming toward the crowd. As everyone fled, some fell, some fell to the ground, some walked past them. ”
CNN reported that in some cities in Liberia, street gangs often carry out robberies armed with machetes or other small arms.
Source: Reuters
A police spokesman declined to comment on the cause of the accident, saying the investigation was ongoing. Liberian President George Weah's office issued a statement saying the president announced three days of national mourning and said it had ordered the Liberian Red Cross and the Disaster Authority to assist the victims.
Last November, a stampede also occurred during a religious ceremony in Liberia, killing two people. (Editor: HHJ)