The stampede that claimed nine lives during an Eid-ul Fitr celebration at the Asawase Community Centre in the Ashanti Region was caused by an electric meter that caught fire during the fete.
According to the Asokore Mampong Municipal Chief Executive, Nurudeen Hamidan, the sound of the meter explosion was mistaken by the celebrants to be a gunshot; causing them to rush to the exit.
“Just when they were about to leave the scene when the electricity meter, in the premise sparked. You know when electricity meter sparks, it makes noise, some of them misconstrued the noise to be a gunshot and so they started agitating and they started rushing out of the premises. In the process, the stampede happened,” he told Accra-based Citi FM.
Mr. Hamidan also said, some of them in their attempt to run out fell in a drain in front of the community centre and were trampled upon.
“The stampede actually happened outside the community centre. You know when you come out of the centre, there is a small drain, that collects water from the roofing sheet, and you know in the night, when the meter sparked, obviously the lights go off. So, in the process, some of them fell, and people run over them and that caused the stampede,” he explained further.
Community centre to be closed down
The community centre according to Mr. Hamidan will be closed down with immediate effect and handed over to the Assembly to be managed.
“The entire community centre, with the exception of the post office side which is facing the street, is going be shut down. We are going to close the place to allow thorough investigation to be carried. That community centre was built as part of the Asawasi Estate development. And so the owners of the centre are the community members. They are the ones who are currently managing the centre. The Assembly is going to take over the management of the centre,” he added.
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