Status: 04/20/2023 02:07 am
At least 78 people have died in a stampede in Yemen. According to the Houthi rebels, the riot in the capital Sanaa broke out during a fundraiser.
At least 78 people have died in a stampede in Yemen. Many more people were injured in the riot in the capital Sanaa. The director of the health authority in the capital Sanaa, Mutahar al-Maruni, told the Al-Masirah television station
According to the Houthi rebels, the riot broke out during a charity drive. Merchants distributed money to the crowd without prior coordination, which led to the wild scramble. The tragedy is believed to have happened at a donation distribution point in the Yemeni capital.
In videos intended to show the scenes after the incident, numerous bodies were lined up on the ground. The exact background as well as the exact number of fatalities initially remained unclear.
Civil war has been going on since 2014
The head of the High Political Council, Mahdi al-Maschat, called for an investigation into the incident. According to a report by the Houthi-run news agency Saba, a committee designated for this purpose arrived at the scene that evening. Two suspected dealers were arrested.
Yemen is located in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. The Shiite Houthi rebels have taken over large parts of northern Yemen there in their uprising that has been going on since 2014 and also control the capital Sanaa. The rebels are supported by Shia-majority Iran.
Saudi Arabia has been fighting the Houthis with allies alongside the government in the country since 2015. One of the worst humanitarian catastrophes in the world is taking place in Yemen, mainly due to the consequences of the civil war.