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.