- Nineteen prisoners use cutlery to break out of cells at Winchester prison
- France wants progress in Ukraine before Russia returns to G7
- Italy president begins talks to seek way out of government crisis
- Italian PM expected to resign as political chaos deepens
- Russia says US cruise missile test ‘regrettable’
- Kremlin - No date set for Normandy talks on Ukraine despite Macron meeting
- Egypt court hands out 6 death sentences on terror charges
- Putin says Russian nuclear explosion poses no threat
- Russian panel eyes alleged foreign interference in protests
- Gran Canaria wildfire triggers evacuation of thousands of people
- PM Johnson calls on Germany and France to compromise on Brexit
- Sudan's ex-president Bashir arrives at corruption trial
TEHRAN, November 19 - A stampede in a southern Moroccan village has left at least 15 people dead and five others injured as food aid was being distributed, the Interior Ministry said.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - The crush took place on Sunday in Sidi Boulalam in the province of Essaouira as a local association was distributing food aid in a local weekly "souk," or market, the ministry said in a statement.
King Mohammed VI has given instructions that "all measures be taken to help the victims and their families," the ministry added, noting that the king would pay for the hospitalization of the wounded and the burials of the dead.
Alyaoum24.com, a local news website, reported that people were rushing for food aid whose value was about $16 per person.
The mayor of the nearby city of Essaouira, Hicham Jbari, told The Associated Press that the tragedy's victims had been transported to the city's hospital. The village of Sidi Boulalam is about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the city of Essaouira.
Distribution of food aid is common in the North African nation, notably in remote parts of the country, and is organized by private sponsors and groups as well as by the authorities.
Often held once a week in rural areas of Morocco, the souks are usually very busy places. People from nearby villages come to the markets to buy food and other data-x-items for a week.
A drought has badly hurt agricultural output in Morocco recently, contributing to the high cost of basic food items.
Source: Presstv
Your Comment