The glee and fanfare that greeted the opening of the Akwa Ibom International Stadium in Uyo yesterday, Friday, November 7 was marred by the stampede that left two people suspected dead and scores injured.
Excited
indigenes of the state thronged the stadium in their thousands to
witness the historic inauguration of the stadium which made it hard for
security officials to control the crowd.
Punch reports
that several eye witnesses revealed that apart from the stampede which
led to the death of the affected people, security men at the gate
dispensed tear gas on those trying to gain entry into the stadium.
According
to the report, those who sustained injury during the stampede lay for
several minutes unattended to by the medical team at the stadium.
While confirming the incident, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Emem Bassey
revealed that several unconscious persons were taken to an undisclosed
hospital but also said that reports of the deaths were untrue.
“I
was told that two persons have been taken to the hospital; these are
perhaps people who were fighting at the gate in their bid to enter the
stadium,” Dr. Bassey said. “It should be expected; this is the first
time this is happening, everybody is excited, everybody wants to enter
the stadium. We have 150 medical personnel in this place and eight
ambulances. All our medical teams are up and doing and all the clinics
are manned,” Mr. Bassey added.
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