Four people died at the stadium and seven more
at the hospital, according to police commander Shadreck Mubaiwa. Those killed were attending
a church service for a popular Pentecostal pastor,
Walter Magaya.
The cause of the stampede - which occurred in the early hours of Friday morning local time - was not immediately known. The BBC reports it occurred as thousands of worshippers rushed to leave after the service.
Some witnesses accused the police of blocking most
of the stadium exits and then firing tear gas as people battled to get through the only one left open, the British broadcaster says. The police denied firing tear gas.
of the stadium exits and then firing tear gas as people battled to get through the only one left open, the British broadcaster says. The police denied firing tear gas.
A pregnant woman and three children were among
the dead, Magaya told the state-run newspaper The Herald.
the dead, Magaya told the state-run newspaper The Herald.
Thousands of people were expected to have attended the service at the stadium in Kwekwe, a city in central Zimbabwe.
The televangelist's religious services, known as the Prophetic Healing and Deliverance Ministries, draw huge crowds on tours across the southern African nation. He claims to be able to heal people by performing miracles.
Source: OneNews
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