52 killed in stampede at religious festival in Ethiopia

AS many as fifty-two people died at the religious festival of Irreecha (thanksgiving) ceremony in Bishoftu, Ethiopia. The people had gathered to celebrate the end of the rainy season when the police fired tear gas at protesters that triggered a stampede.
This has been reported in zeenews.india.com dated 3 October 2016.

In the opinion of the regional government, the reason for the violence that broke out at the gathering in the town of Bishoftu near the capital Addis Ababa was a result of actions of "irresponsible forces" that led to a stampede and the loss of 52 lives. It seems protesters began throwing stones and bottles and security forces responded with baton charges and tear gas grenades. There were also reports of gunfire. This action by the police sent people fleeing in panic and many of them fell on top of each other into a ditch. There were rubber bullets strewn on the ground.
Opposition groups believe that more than 100 people had been killed in the chaos after thousands of people gathered at a sacred lake for the Irreecha (thanksgiving) ceremony. In this ceremony, the Oromo community marks the end of the wet weather.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Taiwan struck by Typhoon Megi, third typhoon in two weeks

Terrorist alarm in Uran was the figment of a 12-year-old schoolgirl's imagination

Tourist season in Kaziranga National Park to start from October 1 instead of November 1


Moody is off mood – Na Buzz had fooled him again (satire)

Didi’s version of ABCD - cycle to work to bypass potholes (satire)

Goddess Durga and her kids wait for the annual bash (satire)


9300 people killed in Russian airstrikes in Syria during last year

MH17 flight shot down by rocket over Ukraine in 2014 was work of pro-Moscow rebels

Shooting in Burlington - gunman on the run after shooting dead four women in a shopping center


Mark Wahlberg talks about movie on Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico

Adele creates a record - her latest album 25 has gone platinum in the US

Movie memorabilia go under the hammer - Batman's batpod fetches £312,000