At least eight people were killed during a stampede at the Afro-Music Channel Festival in Benguela, Angola last weekend, according to eNews Channel Africa. A spectator told eNews that the stampede began at the over-crowded arena where exit doors had been locked; police entered the arena “looking for criminals” which caused the panic.
Benguela police released a statement confirming the eight deaths. They will be conducting an investigation into the incident, they said, as the precise reasons for death have not yet been determined.
Nelson Sul, an Angolan journalist who attended the festival on Sunday evening, told Agence France-Presse that the body count could end up being higher.
“There are more bodies in morgues in the city. The criminal investigation service told me that the death toll was 20.”
The festival had sold out the stadium’s 8,000-person capacity.
Sources: THUMP, eNews | Image via Pérola das Acácias