Reports say a stampede during a celebration of a Muslim holiday at the Asawase Community Center in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region on Thursday claimed 9 lives so far.
Six of the dead are females and three males while those injured are receiving treatment at the Manhyia hospital with one person in a critical condition.
According to the reports, the cause of the stampede is known but some survivor say, a fight broke out and those inside the Center were in a hurry to get out.
One survivor, Charles Amoa-Boateng said there was a sudden power cut inside the club which caused panic and a mad-rush for the exit. Another report said ‘a noise like a gunshot’ was heard from the meter right before the power cut.
He said, there was a lot of people wailing and crying in the fight to get out.
“I was bitten by several people in my fight to get out. Some people were stepping on me while others were throwing their hands for help to get out,” he said.
Mr Amoa-Boateng said he was lucky someone heard his cries and pulled him out of the many people struggling to exit, adding, “there was no movement as most of us were suffocating in the heat”
Another survivor said there was an announcement that a fight had broken out inside the Center which caused people to panic thus headed for the exit.
Muslims the world over celebrated Eid-Ul-Fitr on Wednesday to mark the end of the month of Ramadan in which Muslims fast for 29/30 days.
African Eye Report
