Stampede during Moroccan music festival kills 11
Last Updated: Sunday, May 24, 2009 | 4:46 PM ET
CBC News
A worker in Rabat, Morocco clears debris near to the collapsed fence, after eleven people were killed in a stampede by the audience at the end of a concert by the Moroccan singer Abdelaziz Stati early Sunday. (Abdeljalil Bounhar/Associated Press)A world music festival in Morocco, featuring international stars such as Stevie Wonder and Kylie Minogue, ended tragically after 11 died in a concert stampede.
Police in Rabat say five women, four men and two children were found dead at Hay Nahda stadium in the early hours of Sunday morning.
They were crushed and appeared to have suffocated after the crowd surged towards the exits and brought down a wire fence, which triggered a stampede.
Some 70,000 fans had shown up on Saturday night to hear Moroccan performer Abdelaziz Stati.
Created in 2001, the week-long Mawazine festival is one of the biggest cultural events in the north African country, with street shows, art exhibits and concerts. Organizers say 1.2 million people attended the festival.
As many as 1,700 foreign and local artists converged in Rabat for the festival, with Minogue launching the event on May 15. Other performers included Alicia Keyes, Brazlian bossa nova musician Sergio Mendes and Italian composer Ennio Moricone.
Doctors treated another 30 people who were injured at the site. On Sunday, seven remained in hospital.
Morocco's Interior Ministry has announced an investigation.
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