Officials report that a minimum of 78 people have died as a result of a crush that occurred at a school in the capital city of Yemen, Sanaa, during the handing out of charity for the month of Ramadan.
The video footage that has been shared on the internet shows a state of chaos in the Bab-al-Yemen neighborhood of the city after the incident.
The news agency Reuters reported that dozens of people visited the school to get their donations, which equated to almost $9 (£7) each person.
Since the Houthi rebels ousted the government in early 2015, they have had complete control over the city.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, those accountable for the supply have been imprisoned, and an inquiry is currently being conducted.
According to a representative for the ministry, the bottleneck was caused by the haphazard allocation of funding, which did not involve coordination with local authorities.
In addition, a large number of individuals were hurt, with 13 reported to be in critical condition, according to a medical official in Sanaa.
A Houthi safety official spoke to the news agency AFP on the basis of anonymity since he was not licensed to speak to reporters about the situation. He stated that there were children and women among the deceased.
According to two witnesses who were interviewed by the news agency the AP, Houthi fighters shot into the skies in an attempt to contain the throng, and it appears that one of their bullets hit an electrical wire, which caused an explosion.
They went on to say that this sparked the panic that ultimately led to the crush.
The occurrence took place in the last few days of the Islamic month of holy Ramadan, which is distinguished by a period of abstinence from food and drink.
A significant prisoner transfer between warring factions in Yemen began last week. This is considered as part of increased attempts to put an end to the destructive conflict that has been going on for eight years.
The leader of the Houthi senior evolutionary committee, Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, placed blame for Wednesday’s massacre on the dire humanitarian situation that is affecting the country.
According to what he posted on Twitter, “We hold the aggressor countries accountable for what took place, as well as for the harsh conditions that the Yemeni people are forced to live in as a direct result of the assault and embargo.”
