60th Mashujaa day celebrations turn tragic after 4 die, 13 injured during dawn stampede
Today’s 60th Mashujaa Day celebrations presided over by president William Ruto at the Kericho Green Stadium turned tragic following a security scare stampede that left at least four people dead and thirteen others badly injured.
According to preliminary police investigation report, the four died at dawn as they made their way into the stadium at Gate C.
Police said the four passed away while undergoing treatment following the 3am incident.
The four who died at Kericho Referral Hospital were among several people, including a minor, who were rushed to the facility following a stampede at Gate C of the stadium.
“At about 6am on Friday morning, it was reported by police officers on duty at Kericho Green Stadium, the venue of this year’s Mashujaa Day celebrations, that there was a stampede caused by a lady selling tea outside the stadium who accidentally spilled hot tea into the fire near Gate ‘C’ along the public road, causing members of the public to panic and mistake it for tear gas being thrown at them.” An interim police probe report reads in part.
The stampede was caused by a lady who was selling tea outside the stadium who accidentally spilled hot tea in the fire near along the public road.
This resulted in a public panic which was mistaken for a teargas thrown to them.
“Several people who wanted to gain entry to the stadium were injured and rushed to Kericho County Referral Hospital on board station motor vehicle and county government ambulances.” Police added.
Three police officers are among the injured, with one of them sustaining a fracture on the right leg, another a cut wound on the right eye and the other one getting a head injury.
Two are Community Health Promoters, one being a man who injured his neck and a woman who sustained injuries on the back and left leg.
Four of the 13 victims have been reported to have suffered soft tissue injuries.
The others got injuries on their backs, legs, shoulder and chest.
The injured persons are aged between 17 years and 67 years old.
“The dead bodies have been taken to the morgue pending identification and postmortem.” A source at the hospital told The Informer Media Group.
Before the incident, people had started streaming into the Kericho Green Stadium at 1 am.
