At least 11 women and children were killed in a deadly stampede at a Ramadan food distribution center in Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi on Friday, police and rescue officials said.
The stampede happened when hundreds of women and children panicked and started pushing each other to collect food outside a factory. Some of them fell into a nearby drain, local police official Mughees Hashmi said.
Residents said a wall also collapsed near the drain, injuring and killing people amid the stampede. Several people were also injured in the stampede. Hashmi said eight women and three children died.
It is the deadliest stampede at a food distribution point since the start of the Islamic holy month of fasting, Ramadan. With the latest incident, the death toll from stampedes at free food centers across the country has risen to at least 21 since last week.
Hashmi said the factory owner who organized the food distribution center had not alerted police about the plan. He said local police were unaware of the distribution, otherwise they might have deployed forces.
Pakistan is facing an acute financial crisis as its government rushes to tackle the situation with drastic measures. This alarming financial crisis could severely impact millions of citizens, experts said.
