Stampede in Yemen: Stampede in Yemen’s capital, more than 80 people killed, more than 100 injured

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Yemen, AP A stampede broke out in Yemen’s capital on late Wednesday night during a program to distribute financial aid. According to officials, more than 80 people were killed in the stampede, while more than 100 people were injured. According to the Houthi-run Interior Ministry, the stampede occurred in the Old City in the center of Sanaa when hundreds of poor people gathered at an event organized by merchants.

The condition of 13 of the injured remains critical.

Dozens of injured were admitted to nearby hospitals. Motahar al-Marouni, a senior health official in Sanaa, gave the death toll and said at least 13 people were seriously wounded, according to the Houthi rebels’ Al-Maseera satellite TV channel.

On this occasion, the entry of other people including journalists has been banned.

The rebels immediately sealed off the school where the incident took place and barred people, including journalists, from entering. Eyewitnesses Abdel-Rahman Ahmed and Yahya Mohsen said that in an attempt to control the crowd, armed Houthis fired into the air, hitting a power line and exploding. He said that this created an atmosphere of panic and people started vandalism. The Home Ministry said it has detained two organizers and investigation is underway.

Yemen’s capital has been under the control of the Iran-backed Houthis since seizing its northern stronghold in 2014 and ousting the internationally recognized government. This prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 to try to restore the government. The conflict has turned into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran in recent years, killing more than 150,000 people, including combatants and civilians, and is one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.