Indian Ocean Island Games: crush at opening ceremony leaves 12 dead
Madagascar: 12 people died in a crush at the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games.
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An unfortunate incident occurred at the opening of the Indian Ocean Island Games currently taking place in Madagascar. The opening ceremony was marred by tragedy. At least 12 people died in a crush at the entrance to the Mahamasina stadium in the capital, Antananarivo, on Friday 25 August. A further 85 people were reported injured.
According to the Red Cross on the ground, seven minors are among the victims. "Seven children died, two boys and five girls", Antsa Mirado, a communications officer, told AFP. "There were a lot of people at the entrance, which set off a crush," he added.
Present at the ceremony, President Andry Rajoelina called for a minute of silence before the ceremony continued. "There are around 50,000 of us in the stadium," the head of state said in a speech broadcast on television. But "a tragic event has occurred because there were crushes. There were injuries and deaths at the entrance."
The stadium, which was built to hold around 41,000 people, has already been the scene of deadly crushes. One person died and at least 37 were injured during an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Madagascar and Senegal in 2018. In 2019, at least 15 people died in a crush at a music concert in the same stadium.