Children killed in Angola Evangelical New Year Eve Vigil

AFRIKUPDATE

News/Africa
ANGOLA

       

At least 13 people, including four children, have died and 120 others were injured in a stampede at a stadium used for evangelical vigil in the Angolan capital Luanda on New Year's Eve, local media has reported.

Faustino Sebastiao, the civil protection spokesman, said that the victims were crushed and asphyxiated by a crowd of people who were rushing to enter the Cidadela Desportiva stadium after only two of the four gates had been opened on Monday.

Twelve of the injured remained hospitalised on Tuesday.

"We were expecting 70,000 people but far more turned up," Ferner Batalha, a bishop of the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, was quoted by the Angolan news agency Angop said on Tuesday as saying.

He said the pentecostalist church had told the authorities about the event and requested that Red Cross workers attend.

Lina Ali, director of clinical services at Americo Boavida hospital, confirmed that the victims had died of asphyxiation, saying 70 people had been hospitalised.

Source:Alj