Houthi crimes violate rituals… Failed attacks on the first days of Eid
A crowd of Yemenis appeared to be in panic after shooting and an electrical explosion during the distribution of money on the last day of Ramadan in the Yemeni capital late Wednesday, killing at least 78 people and wounding at least 73, witnesses said.
The British newspaper, The Guardian, reported that this tragedy was the bloodiest in Yemen in years and was not connected to the long war. It came ahead of the Eid Al-Fitr holiday, which marks the end of the month of Ramadan this week.
Houthi attack
Two witnesses, Abdulrahman Ahmed and Yahya Mohsen, said that the Houthi armed militia fired into the air in an attempt to control the crowd and apparently hit an electrical cable and caused an explosion; “In panic, citizens, including many women and children, started running.”
Videos posted on social media showed dozens of bodies, some motionless, others screaming as people tried to help, and separate footage of signs posted by Houthi officials showed blood, shoes and clothing strewn on the ground.
According to the British newspaper, the stampede occurred in the Old City in central Sana’a, where hundreds of poor people gathered for a charity event organized by traders, according to the Houthi-run Interior Ministry.
Witnesses said: People gathered to receive about US$10 each from a charity funded by local businesses. Wealthy people and businesses often distribute money and food, especially to the poor, during Ramadan.
The insurgents quickly closed the school where the event was taking place and prevented people, including journalists, from approaching, the British newspaper reported.
