New Year’s Eve celebrations in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, turn into tragedy and tears after a stampede at a shopping mall that killed and injured people. A police statement said people died of asphyxiation after crowds of people gathered to watch the New Year’s fireworks were stuck in a narrow alley at the Freedom City shopping center near Kampala.
Police said crowds of people began running down the corridor at the mall as the clock struck twelve, marking the start of the new year. “Many were trapped when the crowds entered to watch the fireworks. During this time, many died of suffocation. Nine deaths have been confirmed so far,” the police said in a statement. The police added: “Ambulance crews arrived at the scene and took the injured to the hospital.”
