16 dead in Angola New Year stampede

LUANDA (AFP) - The official death toll from a stampede at a New Year’s Eve evangelical vigil in Angola rose to 16 Wednesday, as witnesses said the tragedy was caused by a scramble for sachets of holy water. “We confirm the death of 16 people, including four children,” Paulo Gaspar de Almeida, deputy commander-general of the Angolan police, told AFP. Authorities probing how the disaster happened have discovered that the 80,000-seater stadium in the capital Luanda was packed to nearly double its capacity as turnout far exceeded expectations.

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