Eleven die in Morocco music festival stampede

Plus 40 injured after fence collapsed at Mawazine event

At least eleven people have died and around 40 have been injured after a fence collapsed at the Mawazine festival in Rabat, Morocco on Saturday night (May 23).

Around 70,000 people had attended the festival, which saw artists including Kylie Minogue, Stevie Wonder and Alicia Keys perform.

The incident occurred at the Hay Nahda stadium as the festival was coming to a close, with hurrying fans congregating as they attempted to leave. The rush caused a fence to collapse and a stampede, resulting in the fatalities and injuries, reports Reuters.

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Police reported that the death toll included five women, four men and two children.

Some festival-goers blamed police for the incident, accusing them of blocking off designated exits, forcing fans to use alternative routes.

“The doors were closed by the police and we were forced to leave the stadium from some places not destined for this purpose,” one anonymous festival-goer said. “The police did not intervene.”

However, Hassan Lamrani, Governer of Raat, said fans were to blame, saying: “At the end of the concert and despite the existence of seven gates, a group of citizens decided to go over the metal barriers to have a quick exit.”

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