KAMPALA, Uganda — Nine people, including a 10-year-old boy, suffocated to death when a stampede broke out during a New Year’s fireworks show in Uganda’s capital, authorities said Sunday.
Crowds rushing to see the fireworks were stuck in a narrow corridor at Freedom City Mall in Kampala, Reuters reported.
“Very many people got stuck as they were entering in large numbers to see fireworks. In doing so, many people suffocated to death,” police said in a statement. “So far nine people are confirmed dead.”
Five people -- described by police as “mostly children, juveniles” -- were reportedly killed after they were stepped on, the BBC reported. The death toll was revised upward to nine after several people were taken to an area hospital, according to the news organization.
After the fireworks outside the mall, “a stampede ensued, resulting in the instant deaths of five people and injuries to several others,” national police spokesperson Luke Owoyesigyire told reporters.
Four others died on their way to the hospital “largely due to suffocation,” Owoyesigyire said.
In a statement, the Katwe Territorial Police are “investigating an incident of rash (behavior) and neglect” according to The Associated Press.
Ramadhan Aphongo, who was at the fireworks display, told local broadcaster NTV that a friend was among the victims, the BBC reported.
“She was enjoying, she was having fun, but due to loss of breath, eventually she died,” Aphongo told NTV.
The mall is situated on a highway that links Kampala to Entebbe International Airport, according to Reuters.
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