Antananarivo - A tragic incident unfolded as a stampede of enthusiastic sports fans attempted to enter Madagascar's national stadium for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games. Regrettably, this stampede led to the loss of 12 lives and left 80 individuals injured. The Barea stadium's entrance became the site of the stampede on Friday, with approximately 50,000 attendees gathered for the event.

Madagascar's Prime Minister, Christian Ntsay, provided updates to reporters at a hospital in Antananarivo, stating, "The preliminary count indicates 12 fatalities and around 80 people injured."

The Indian Ocean Island Games, a multi-disciplinary sporting event, are taking place in Madagascar until September 3. Originating from the creation of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1977, these games involve athletes from various nations including Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Réunion, and the Maldives.

During the opening ceremony, which was attended by Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina, a moment of silence was observed due to the tragic incident. President Rajoelina addressed the nation in a televised speech, stating, "A tragic event occurred because there was pushing. There were injuries and deaths at the entrance." Visuals from the scene depicted people searching for their shoes among items lost in the chaotic rush.

Images shared on social media displayed packed stands within the stadium. Unfortunately, this isn't the first occurrence of such a tragedy, as a similar incident at the Mahamasina stadium resulted in the loss of at least 15 lives in 2019.