The stampede caused by overcrowding happened on Saturday, December 20, at the Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi.

On-site paramedics reportedly performed emergency resuscitation before rushing Karen to Nairobi West Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Confirming the incident, the show organiser, Tukutane Entertainment, expressed sadness on its Instagram page.

“We are deeply saddened to confirm that a tragic incident occurred during our December 20th concert, resulting in the loss of life.

“Our hearts are with the family, friends, and loved ones affected by this devastating loss. We’re cooperating fully with emergency services and the appropriate authorities as they work to understand what happened.”

This is not the first time a fatal stampede has happened at Asake’s concert.

A 33-year-old Nigerian mother of two, Rebecca Ikumelo, lost her life in December 2022 at Asake’s concert in Brixton O2 Academy in London after sustaining severe injuries during a stampede.

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According to him, the tragedy was a result of leadership failure. Nana Twum Barimah I stated that, even if the officers in charge are not entirely dismissed, they must lose their ranks to serve as a deterrent and prevent future occurrences.

He explained that, as part of former President John Dramani Mahama’s Resetting Agenda, this incident should serve as a test case for taking decisive action against those responsible for the recruitment process, whose negligence resulted in loss of life, while also prompting necessary reforms within the security agencies.

Addressing concerns over whether the absence of a substantive Defense Minister contributed to the disaster, Nana Twum Barimah I said it could not have been a factor.

He noted that the Ghana Armed Forces is headed by the Chief of Defence Staff and properly supervised by the Chief Director, who oversees such operations. “It would be incorrect to attribute the disaster to the absence of a Defense Minister,” he said.

He also commended the Deputy Defense Minister, stating, “I have monitored the Deputy Defense Minister, and I can say he is doing well so far, with the entire GAF hierarchy providing the needed support.”

The stampede, which occurred on Wednesday, August 12, 2025, resulted in the death of six military recruit applicants. Twelve others sustained various injuries, with five reportedly in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

President John Dramani Mahama visited the injured at the 37 Military Hospital and subsequently directed that the recruitment exercise be halted. Acting Defense Minister Cassiel Ato Forson confirmed that an internal committee has been established to investigate the incident.

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Distressed families lined up outside a makeshift hospital inquiring about their missing relatives, rescuers were helping the injured and police tried to manage the crowds.

People’s belongings like clothes, blankets and backpacks were strewn around the scene of the stampede. It was not immediately clear what triggered the panic or how many people had been hurt. Some local news websites said 10 people had died.

Wednesday was a sacred day during the six-week festival, and authorities were expecting a record 100 million devotees to engage in a ritual bath at the confluence of the Ganges, the Yamuna and the mythical Saraswati rivers.

The ritualistic bathing’s main draw are thousands of ash-smeared Hindu ascetics who arrive in massive processions towards the confluence to take a holy dip in the waters.

The incident did not appear to have deterred millions of Hindu pilgrims who continued to throng the site even as police officials urged them over megaphones to keep away from the confluence.

Yogi Adityanath, chief minister of the Uttar Pradesh state, also urged people to not head towards the confluence and instead take baths at other riverbanks. Adityanath, in a post on social platform X, did not make any reference to the stampede but warned people not to “pay attention to any rumors.”

The Maha Kumbh festival, held every 12 years, started on Jan. 13 and is the world’s largest religious gathering. Authorities expect more than 400 million people to throng the pilgrimage site in total.

Authorities built a sprawling tent city on the riverbanks to accommodate visitors. It has 3,000 kitchens and 150,000 toilets, plus roads, electricity and water, communication towers and 11 hospitals.

About 50,000 security personnel are stationed in the city to maintain law and order and manage crowds. Authorities also installed more than 2,500 cameras, some powered by AI, to send crowd movement and density information to four central control rooms, where officials can quickly deploy personnel to avoid stampedes.

In 2013, at least 40 pilgrims who were taking part in the same festival were killed in a stampede at a train station in Prayagraj.

Deadly stampedes are relatively common around Indian religious festivals, where large crowds gather in small areas with shoddy infrastructure and few safety measures.

In July at least 116 people died, most of them women and children, when thousands at a religious gathering in northern India stampeded at a tent in Hathras town.

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The incident reportedly occurred on Tuesday morning with the victim rushed to the hospital.

The Corporate Affairs Officer, Henry Myers-Aboagye, who confirmed the incident said it occurred at the entrance when the gates were opened for operations.

“I don’t have the details, but I was told that there was a stampede at the gate as the gates were opened.

“We have appealed to the public that when they get to the gate, they should just join the queue. But they will not listen, and sometimes it is just difficult. We got the police in to help, but sometimes it is just overwhelming,” he told Accra-based Citi FM.

Customers of telecommunication companies have been directed to synchronise their details with the National Identification database.

The process includes visiting outlets of the respective operators which have resulted in winding queues though the March 31, 2022, deadline is fast approaching.

Though NIA says it has issued cards to about 15 million Ghanaians, a lot of citizens are still struggling to either register for a new card, misplaced cards or collection.

This has generated conversation about the waste of productive hours and raised questions about the flexibility of the exercise.

He blamed Madam Owusu-Ekuful for failing to announce the extension of the deadline on time, causing the queuing at the offices, which led to the stampede.

One person was injured and received treatment at the hospital.

He noted that the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the Ministry were fully aware that the 31st March deadline directive was untenable.

Mr George said it makes absolutely no sense; technically and logically, to scare Ghanaians of deactivating sim cards when only less than eight of 40million active sim cards have been registered.

“Are they going to deactivate 32 million sim cards?” he quizzed, while chiding the NIA and Ministry for not taking proactive measures to make the announcement since they were willing to make that move.

Police spokesman Moses Carter told the BBC the stampede occurred on Wednesday night when a group of gangsters, some carrying knives, moved on the open-air ground and attacked worshippers.

He added that one person, who was carrying a knife, has been arrested.

The crusade – a term commonly used in Liberia to describe Christian prayer gatherings – had been organised by an influential pastor.

The bodies have been taken to the morgue at Redemption Hospital, close to the crusade ground in a beachside place called New Kru Town.

The number of street gangs operating on the streets of Liberian cities has increased in recent years.

President George Weah was expected to visit the scene Thursday, according to OK FM, a private Monrovia broadcaster.

Scores of job seekers have reportedly been injured in a stampede at the Accra International Conference Centre.

This was during the second day of the Youth Employment Agency’s (YEA) maiden job fair on Friday, September 10, 2021.

The event, which was to provide a platform for jobs and networking, saw job seekers mainly Ghanaian youth thronging the premises in their numbers.

As part of the event, there were supposed to be live interviews during which about 100 companies present will offer instant employment.

But the event became chaotic following the huge numbers it witnessed.

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Videos from the event, which have gone viral on social media, saw the job seekers amid screams pushing each other around in their bid to find a spot to stand.

The footage captured broken glasses spattered with droplets of blood on the floor.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Efutu Alexander Afenyo Markin has hit at the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for calling on President Akufo-Addo to open himself up for an investigation in connection with the Number 12 undercover documentary by investigative journalist, Anas Aremeyaw Anas.

According to him, the NDC’s baseless stance on the issue does not come as a shock because it is expected of a party which is still in shock from the 2016 election defeat.

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“NDC is being petty on this issue. What was the essence of their press conference? I think the NDC is still in shock after the 2016 defeat and has ended up organising press all in the attempt of stampeding the process” he said.

Mr Afenyo Markin was speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen Wednesday.

The opposition party is asking the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Police Service to inform Ghanaians about the status of their investigations into the scandal which has tarnished the image of Ghanaians and Ghana.

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The NDC’s call comes on the heels of FIFA’s decision to place a life ban on the former Ghana Football Association (GFA) boss Kwesi Nyantakyi.

However, Mr Afenyo Markin said the government has been sincere in the Number 12 investigations and won’t compromise its stand.

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He asked the NDC to stop politicising the issue and allow the laws to work else nothing would be achieved.

Dozens more were injured in the crush at Lilongwe’s Bingu national stadium.
The stampede reportedly happened as thousands of people tried to find seats ahead of a friendly between top sides Nyasa Big Bullets and Silver Strikers.
President Peter Mutharika has offered his condolences and said the government will do all it can to assist the families of the bereaved.
He said he was shocked to learn of the tragedy.
The BBC’s Frank Kandu in Malawi said gates at the 40,000-capacity stadium were supposed to open at 06:30 local time (04:30GMT) to allow free entry of people – but there was a delay of about three hours.
However, thousands had already turned up, and some forced their way in.
Inspector General of Police Lexan Kachama told Reuters news agency he expected the number of casualties to rise.
The football match was being held as part of events to mark the 53rd anniversary of Malawi’s independence from British colonial rule.