Stampede in Yemen kills 85: A look back at the deadliest crowd crushes in past 10 years

Paris: The stampede that killed at least 85 people in Sanaa, Yemen, during a charity distribution event is among the deadliest crowd incidents of the past decade. Here are the most deadly: Mecca: 2,300 dead On 24 September 2015, a massive stampede on the site of the stoning of the devil ritual in Mina near Mecca during the annual pilgrimage caused around 2,300 deaths, the deadliest disaster in the hajj’s history. Iran, which said 464 of its pilgrims were killed, accused Saudi Arabia of failing to organise the event properly. Some pilgrims blamed the stampede on the closure of a road near the stoning site, claiming security forces mismanaged the flow of worshippers. [caption id=“attachment_12480692” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The bodies of Muslim pilgrims are seen following a crush caused by large numbers of people pushing at Mina, outside the Muslim holy city of Mecca. File image/Reuters[/caption] South Korea: More than 150 dead On the night of 29 October 2022, more than 150 people were killed in a crush in Seoul during a Halloween party with several thousand participants in the narrow streets of a neighbourhood in the South Korean capital. Indonesia: 135 dead On 1 October, 2022, a stampede in a football stadium in Malang, East Java, killed 135 people, including more than 40 children. Police had tried to fend off fans with tear gas and many panic-stricken victims were crushed or suffocated while trying to use closed or narrow exit doors. A police officer and two match officials have been jailed for 12-18 months over the disaster. India: At least 115 dead On 13 October 2013, a stampede on the sidelines of a religious festival near a temple in the Datia district of the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh left at least 115 people dead, mostly trampled or drowned, and more than 110 injured. At the time of the accident, some 20,000 people were on a bridge over the Sindh River. According to local authorities, a rumour about a possible collapse of the bridge caused the stampede. Yemen: At least 85 dead On 20 April, 2023, more than 85 people were killed and hundreds injured in a stampede at a charity distribution event in war-torn Yemen. [caption id=“attachment_12480712” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] The aftermath of a deadly stampede in Sanna, Yemen. AP[/caption] The incident took place inside a school where cash was being distributed. Hundreds of people in the poverty-hit country had gathered to receive 5,000 Yemeni riyals (around $8 or Rs 657). Iran: 56 dead On 7 January, 2020, a stampede in Kerman in Iran’s southeast during the funeral of General Qasem Soleimani, which was attended by a huge crowd, resulted in 56 deaths. The widely venerated general was killed on 3 January by a US drone strike outside Baghdad airport. Ethiopia: At least 52 dead On 2 October, 2016, at least 52 people died, according to authorities — at least 100, according to the opposition — in a crowd surge in Bishoftu, 50 kilometres (30 miles) southeast of Addis Ababa. **Also Read: Peace in war-ravaged Yemen? Long wait, severe hunger must not end in half-cooked food** Clashes erupted between crowds and police during the traditional Oromo Irreecha festival that marks the end of the rainy season, causing the stampede. Tanzania: 45 dead On 21 March, 2021, 45 people died in a stampede at a stadium in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s economic capital, where a tribute to late president John Magufuli was being held. Israel: 45 dead On 30 April, 2021, a stampede during the Jewish holiday pilgrimage from Lag Ba’omer to Mount Meron in northern Israel killed at least 45 people, darkening the largest gathering in the country since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.