At least 78 dead in stampede at school in Yemen

A deadly stampede in Yemen where hundreds gathered for a cash handout marking Ramadan has highlighted the plight of the war-torn country where two thirds of the population rely on humanitarian aid.

At least 78 people were killed in the crush at a school in Sanaa as residents gathered to receive cash donations distributed by merchants during the Muslim holy month, which ends on Friday.

Hundreds crowded to receive the payouts, which amounted to 5,000 Yemeni riyals, or about £15 per person, on Wednesday night.

“When the door opened, there was a big rush by people wanting to reach the school yard first and some people began falling on the steps leading to the entrance,” one medic said.

Already the region’s poorest state, Yemen is grappling with what the United Nations calls one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises during eight years of war that has divided the country and wrecked the economy and infrastructure.

Witnesses and Houthi rebel officials said the stampede happened when the crowd was scared by gunfire and an electrical explosion.

Two witnesses, Abdel-Rahman Ahmed and Yahia Mohsen, told AP that armed Houthis had fired into the air in an attempt at crowd control and had apparently struck an electrical wire, causing it to explode.

At least 73 more people were injured and taken to the al-Thowra Hospital in Sanaa, according to hospital deputy director Hamdan Bagheri.

The two merchants responsible for organising the donation event had been detained and an investigation was underway, the interior ministry said on Thursday.

Videos on Houthi television and social media showed crowds of people jammed together, screaming to be pulled out as security staff pushed people back to control the crowd.

In another video, believed to have been taken after the stampede, scores of discarded shoes, a crutch and clothing on the steps of the building can be seen as forensic investigators in protective white suits sort through personal belongings.

Interior ministry spokesperson Brigadier Abdel-Khaleq al-Aghri said the crush was due to “random distribution” of funds without coordination with local authorities.

Sanaa has been under the control of Iranian-backed Houthis since a 2014 rebellion that removed the internationally recognised government, backed by Saudi Arabia. The conflict has turned in recent years into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Over 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians have been killed in what is said to be one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.

Additional reporting by agencies