Tragic end to New Year celebrations
Source: Agencies |
January 2, 2013, Wednesday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
At least 61 people died and dozens more were injured in Abidjan as crowds that had gathered for celebratory New Year's fireworks stampeded, Ivory Coast rescue workers said yesterday.
Many children were among the injured and television images showed bodies stretched lifeless on the ground outside the city's main stadium.
Piles of abandoned shoes and clothing could also be seen at the stadium, where soldiers and police were deployed.
Lieutenant Colonel Issa Sako said 49 wounded had been evacuated while other injured victims had gone to hospital on their own. Another rescue official said earlier that at least 200 people were wounded.
The flow of people at the stadium had caused a "very large crush," Sako said. "In the crush, people were walked over and suffocated by the crowd."
Witnesses said the stampede had broken out after the fireworks ended, though the cause remains unclear.
In Rome, two people were killed and 361 injured as New Year revelry turned deadly.
A 49-year-old builder was killed by a rocket flying into his face and a 51-year-old restaurant owner died when a firecracker went off near his head, police said.
A car believed to have been packed with illegal fireworks exploded in Naples on New Year's Eve, severely injuring the two teenagers inside.
"These incidents underline once again that the most serious cases are linked to the thoughtless use of illegal fireworks," police said.
There were several injuries in other parts of Italy too, including an 11-year-old boy in Milan who lost three fingers when a firecracker he had picked up exploded.
In the Philippines, more than 400 people were hurt by powerful firecrackers and gunfire, down 17 percent from a year earlier but still one of Asia's most violent parties.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the 413 wounded and hurt included a child who hit in the head by a stray bullet fired at the height of revelry in suburban Caloocan city in metropolitan Manila. The 7-year-old girl is fighting for her life.
Police said another child was accidentally hit by a shell fired by a homemade shotgun and died during celebrations in Mandaluyong city.
One man had his hand blown off while lighting a huge, prohibited firecracker called "Goodbye Philippines."
Many children were among the injured and television images showed bodies stretched lifeless on the ground outside the city's main stadium.
Piles of abandoned shoes and clothing could also be seen at the stadium, where soldiers and police were deployed.
Lieutenant Colonel Issa Sako said 49 wounded had been evacuated while other injured victims had gone to hospital on their own. Another rescue official said earlier that at least 200 people were wounded.
The flow of people at the stadium had caused a "very large crush," Sako said. "In the crush, people were walked over and suffocated by the crowd."
Witnesses said the stampede had broken out after the fireworks ended, though the cause remains unclear.
In Rome, two people were killed and 361 injured as New Year revelry turned deadly.
A 49-year-old builder was killed by a rocket flying into his face and a 51-year-old restaurant owner died when a firecracker went off near his head, police said.
A car believed to have been packed with illegal fireworks exploded in Naples on New Year's Eve, severely injuring the two teenagers inside.
"These incidents underline once again that the most serious cases are linked to the thoughtless use of illegal fireworks," police said.
There were several injuries in other parts of Italy too, including an 11-year-old boy in Milan who lost three fingers when a firecracker he had picked up exploded.
In the Philippines, more than 400 people were hurt by powerful firecrackers and gunfire, down 17 percent from a year earlier but still one of Asia's most violent parties.
Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the 413 wounded and hurt included a child who hit in the head by a stray bullet fired at the height of revelry in suburban Caloocan city in metropolitan Manila. The 7-year-old girl is fighting for her life.
Police said another child was accidentally hit by a shell fired by a homemade shotgun and died during celebrations in Mandaluyong city.
One man had his hand blown off while lighting a huge, prohibited firecracker called "Goodbye Philippines."
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