UPDATED ON:
Monday, February 11, 2008
00:13 Mecca time, 21:13 GMT
 
News Asia-Pacific
Several dead in Indonesia stampede
Stampedes in concerts have occurred many times in Indonesia [AFP]
At least 10 people have been killed after a stampede at a rock concert in Indonesia.

The tragedy struck as hundreds of people were leaving the performance by underground band, Beside, in Bandung, the regional capital of West Java province.
Bambang Suparsono, Bandung’s police chief, said: "Ten people were killed, one of them has not yet been identified."

He said that the stampede was caused as hundreds of people attempted to leave the downtown All Africa Arts Hall at the same time, causing panic.
The majority of the dead were teenagers who were trampled to death, a local doctor said.
 
Dozens more people were injured and with many being treated for breathing difficulties.
 
'Hundreds trying to enter'
 

A 19-year-old witness told Pikiran Rakyat, a local daily newspaper: "Outside, there were hundreds of people pushing to enter. They were pushing at the gate.


"Inside, there were also a lot of people who wanted to leave, because the hall was so packed that it was difficult to breathe."

 

Another witness said that as the band was playing, hundreds of people forced their way in, damaging the entrance lobby.

 
An investigation has begun with the 15 concert organisers and others being questioned.
 
"We received information that before the crush that ended with deaths, concert organisers distributed free drinks.
 
"There was a smell of alcohol," Suparsono said.
 
The online news portal Detikcoom reported that about 400 people were in attendance in a building with a 700 people capacity.
 
Stampedes at concerts and sports events have occurred on a number of occasions in Indonesia in recent years.
 
A stampede at a football match in the Central Java province in 2006 ended with 10 deaths. The stadium was said to be filled with twice its capacity.
 
In 2004, two separate concerts by the pop group Sheila had stampedes which ended with eight deaths.
 Source: Agencies
 
ARTICLE TOOLS
 Email Article  Email article
 Print Article  Print article
 Send Feedback  Send feedback
 Share article  Share article