Four killed, dozens injured in stampede for alms
Four killed, dozens injured in stampede for alms
Damar Harsanto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
What was to be a moment of grace and blessing of distributing
alms to the poor on Friday became a fatal stampede in which four
people died and dozens were injured on Jl. Raya Pasar Minggu,
South Jakarta.
The fatalities were all women -- Fatimah, 60, Rodiah, 50, and
Halimah, 45, and Sarmana, 55. Sarmana died later in the day at
Siaga Hospital, Pasar Minggu, after she lapsed into a coma of
nine hours.
Dozens of other charity seekers were injured when they fell or
fainted in the stampede.
The incident took place at 8:30 a.m. in the front yard of the
home of Muslim cleric Habib Ismet al Habsyi.
The alms distribution has become an annual program, held by
Ismet for more than 20 years during the second week of Ramadhan.
The alms packages to the poor vary, and packages passed out on
Friday included sarong and cash of between Rp 20,000 (US$2.3) and
Rp 50,000.
The poor who came for the alms numbered over 1,000, so the 80-
square-meter yard could not accommodate the crowd.
"In the past, there were around 300 to 400 charity seekers,"
said Hasan, a relative of Ismet. Ismet is on his pilgrimage to
Mecca, and was not at home when the incident took place.
Eyewitnesses said the charity seekers, who packed the area,
had been arriving since 5 a.m. from across Jakarta and the
surrounding areas of Depok, Bogor and Sukabumi.
The poor formed three lines, but only two people were
available to distribute the alms.
The stampede began when a one-meter-tall iron barrier dividing
the queues collapsed on the crowd.
Panicked by the falling barrier, people began pushing each
other and broke several windows. In the chaos, many charity
seekers trod on others in their scramble for an alms package.
Three people died instantly at the scene from the falling
barrier and stampede, while another victim died after she was
admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment.
No policemen were posted at Ismet's house to secure the event,
as the organizer had failed to inform the police about it, said
Pasar Minggu Police chief Comr. Didi.
Didi said police were grilling several witnesses about the
incident, including the two who were distributing the alms, Usup
and Intan.