At least 60 killed in stampede in Ivory Coast – Channel 4 News

January 1, 2013

The Ivorian government confirmed that a stampede occurred in Abidjan, the main city of Ivory Coast, following a fireworks display on New Year’s Eve, killing about 60 people.

The incident took place on Monday evening near the Felix Houphouet-Boigny Stadium, where a group of people had gathered to watch fireworks.

One injured person said security forces rushed to the scene to disperse the crowd, causing panic and many people fell or were trampled.

“The provisional death toll is 60, with 49 injured,” Interior Minister Hamid Bakayoko said in a statement carried on state television.

President Alassane Ouattara visited the injured in hospital, calling the incident a national tragedy and saying an investigation was underway to find out what happened.

Young victims

Many of the victims were allegedly children.

On Tuesday morning, there were reports of blood and abandoned shoes outside the stadium, where government officials, rescue and security forces remained at the scene.

Assetou Toure, a cleaner, said she did not know whether her children survived.

“My two children came here yesterday,” she said. “I told them not to come, but they didn’t listen. They came while I was sleeping. What should I do?”

It was the worst incident in Abidjan since a stampede at a football match in 2010 that killed 18 people.