Stampede in Yemen leaves more than 80 dead and hundreds injured

A stampede in Yemen on Thursday left more than 80 people dead and hundreds injured. AFP reported that the incident took place at a school in Sana'a, Yemen's capital, while a charity cash distribution was taking place. According to El Mundo, the event occurred in the Bab al-Yemen district of Sana'a. A Houthi security official reported that at least "85 people were killed and more than 322 injured." The newspaper reported that "there are women and children" among the fatalities.

According to local media reports, the incident occurred when gunshots were heard in the air, allegedly by Houthi militiamen in charge of crowd control. This version is under investigation.

The prime minister of the Houthi movement that controls northern Yemen, Abdulaziz Bin Habtour, said in statements reported by DW that it is a "great tragedy": "We are experiencing a great tragedy, a large number of our citizens have died during this stampede."

It seems that the events leading up to the tragic accident are clear. According to what a witness told AP, the incident took place at a school located in the old part of the city. In the building, as part of the usual Ramadan ritual, $9 dollars was being distributed per person to the crowd gathered there. This event, organized by the merchants of the area, brought together a large crowd seeking charity from its citizens.

Yemeni authorities are currently investigating the incident. They have one culprit: the Houthi rebels. This was announced on Twitter by Yemeni Information Minister Muarman al-Eryani: