Three die in disco stampede
2004-12-06 12:22
Nairobi ? Three people died and seven were seriously injured during a stampede at a party in a Nairobi discotheque, news reports said on Monday.
The party, sponsored by a well known alcohol brand, had been highly publicised in the capital for weeks ahead of the event. More than 20 000 youths reportedly turned up.
The trouble began about midnight on Saturday after partygoers, some as young as 16 according to reports in local media, became impatient with the slow admission process and began pushing in the queue.
"The crowd had become impatient and decided to push their way in. There would have been more fatalities had it not been for our security," said a manager at the discotheque.
The crush at the door set off further unrest, and several partygoers were mugged and robbed.
Ten people, all between 16 and 22 years old, were taken to a nearby hospital.
Two men and a woman died in the disco. Police reports quoted by The Standard newspaper said the woman had stab wounds to her stomach.
It took 30 minutes to bring the situation under control, and police arrested 22 people for being drunk and disorderly. - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA