9 die in stampede during Eid celebrations

Accra: At least nine people were killed and dozens injured in a stampede in Ghana’s Kumasi city during Eid ul-Fitr celebrations, which mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Efe news reported on Thursday.

According to Kumasi parliament deputy, Alhaji Mubarak Mohammed, a group of young men were celebrating Eid ul-Fitr on Wednesday night in a social centre when the stampede took place.

Preliminary investigations have yet to find the reasons behind the incident, though Mohammed confirmed that a fight broke out between two groups and gunfire was heard which caused panic among the crowd attending the celebrations.

However, Ghana radio cited eyewitnesses who said that the stampede began after a power cut in the centre.

—IANS