- The victims, believed to be men, died during a feast in Chittagong, Bangladesh
- The funeral feast was held in honor of the city’s mayor, Mohiuddin Chowdhury
- Chowdhury, a senior politician and three-term mayor for the city, died on Friday
- Over 100,000 people attended feasts held by Chowdhury’s family in the city
At least ten people were killed and dozens were injured in a stampede in Bangladesh on Monday after tens of thousands of people gathered for a funeral feast, police said.
The victims, believed to all be men, died during a feast in Chittagong following the death of the the southern city’s mayor.
Mohiuddin Chowdhury, a senior politician of the ruling Awami League party and a three-term mayor of the country’s second largest city, died on Friday.
Ten people, believed to all be men, died during a stampede at a feast in Chittagong, Bangladesh, following the death of the the southern city’s mayor, Mohiuddin Chowdhury
TV footage showed scores of sandals and shoes littering the Rima Community Centre in the Jamal Khan neighbourhood where the stampede happened
In line with Muslim tradition his family and the party hosted the feast, which drew at least 100,000 people to several locations, said private television station Jamuna.
TV footage showed scores of sandals and shoes littering the Rima Community Centre in the Jamal Khan neighbourhood where the stampede happened.
Police had staged baton charges to clear the crowd who packed community centres for the feast commemorating a former city mayor.
Mohammad Hamid, a duty officer of the hospital’s police, said that all who died in the stampede were men.
Authorities and hospital staff said they feared the death toll could rise. At least 50 people were injured in the stampede.
“So far we can confirm the death toll of 10 people,” city police chief Iqbal Bahar told AFP.
“The death toll could rise as 15 people are critically injured,” said another police official, Mohammad Alauddin.