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Summary

1. At least 78 people have been killed in a crush at a school in the Yemeni capital Sanaa during a distribution of charity for Ramadan
2. Hundreds of people had crowded into the school to receive donations which amounted to about $9 (£7) per person, Reuters reports
3. Those responsible for the distribution of the funds have been detained and an investigation is under way, the interior ministry said
4. Houthi rebels have run the city since they drove out the government in 2015
5. The event happened during the final days of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which is marked by a period of fasting
6. Mohamed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthi supreme evolutionary committee, blamed the crush on the country’s humanitarian crisis

Live Reporting

Edited by Jeremy Gahagan

1. Posted at 11:2711:27Closing our coverageJeremy GahaganBBC News Live reporterWe’re now closing our live coverage of the crush at the school in Yemen.Very little new information is emerging in the aftermath of the incident, which has led to nearly 80 people being confirmed killed so far.What we do know is the crush happened at a school in the capital Sanaa, where hundreds had gathered to receive charity for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.Local Houthi authorities – who have controlled the city since 2015 as part of the ongoing civil war in Yemen – say an investigation has been launched and the event’s organisers have been detained.But local witnesses have said Houthi rebel fighters caused the crush, after firing guns into the air as an attempt at crowd control caused mass-panic outside the school.Joining me on this page were Adam Durbin, Anna Boyd and David Gritten.Any updates to the number of deaths, or causes of the incident, will be added to our story about the tragedy as they emerge – which is available to read here.Article share tools
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2. Posted at 11:2011:20What triggered the crush?We know that the crush happened after hundreds of people packed into a narrow street leading to the back entrance of the Maeen School in order to receive charity handouts worth about $9 (£7) each from a local merchant.A spokesman for the Houthi-run interior ministry blamed the incident on overcrowding caused by the “random distribution” of funds without co-ordination with local officials.However, two witnesses told the Associated Press that the crush began after armed Houthis fired into the air in an attempt at crowd control. The shots struck an electrical wire and caused it to explode, sparking panic, they added.Al-Masdar Online, an anti-Houthi local news outlet, also quoted a source who was near the scene at the time as saying that he heard sporadic gunfire from several automatic rifles, followed by a flash of light caused by a short circuit, causing people to panic and sparking a stampede.He said that he could not be sure of the source of the gunfire, but added: “The Houthis are not innocent in this incident.”The source also noted that rebels had previously tried to prevent the local merchant from distributing zakat (alms) and demanded that he hand it over to the Houthi General Zakat Authority, which the merchant had refused to do.The BBC has been unable to verify the reports of gunfire.Article share tools
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3. Posted at 11:1511:15Where was the site of the crush?Jake HortonBBC Reality CheckThe BBC has established the site as the Maeen School, near the historic centre of Sanaa. It’s in a busy area of the city, surrounded by many cafes, restaurants and shops.In videos of the aftermath of the crush, which have been verified by the BBC, you can see several buildings behind the crowds as ambulances arrive.One building has three tall windows and a red roof with a distinctive red and white pattern below.TwitterCopyright: TwitterYou can also see another three-storey white building with several balconies at the front.We matched both of these buildings to a photo of the school campus on Google maps posted in July 2019. This confirms the crush site as the Maeen School.Google MapsCopyright: Google MapsArticle share tools
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4. Posted at 10:4310:43Yemen country profileDespite its ancient roots as the crossroads of Africa, the Middle East and Asia, the modern Republic of Yemen is a relatively new state.It was created after communist South Yemen merged with North Yemen in 1990, following years of strife, but tensions have never been far below the surface.Yemen has been in state of political crisis since 2011, when a fresh wave of protests in 2011, inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt, forced President Ali Abdallah Saleh to resign.Read more about Yemen here.BBCCopyright: BBCArticle share tools
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5. Posted at 10:2810:28Houthi leaders visit crush survivorsVideo contenthttps://emp.bbc.com/emp/SMPj/2.49.2/iframe.htmlVideo caption: Prime Minister Abdulaziz Bin Habtour (left) visited some of the survivorsPrime Minister Abdulaziz Bin Habtour (left) visited some of the survivorsYemen’s Houthi Prime Minister Abdulaziz Bin Habtour has been visiting survivors in Sanaa’s Al Thawra hospital.He was accompanied by other officials including Health Minister Taha Al-Mutawakel.Bin Habtour said: “We are firstly checking on the injured and those who died.”The interior and health minister, members of the public prosecution, the head of the Supreme Judicial Council and all other relevant officials, have proceeded with their legal duties to examine this unfortunate event and to find a serious solution for this to never happen again.”We are experiencing a great tragedy, a large number of our citizens have died during this stampede.”Article share tools
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6. Posted at 10:1110:11In pictures: Investigation and anxious wait for newsThere are not many images coming out of Yemen following last night’s stampede, and most those we have seen are too graphic or distressing to be shared.Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause, while many relatives of those injured or killed have been anxiously waiting for news.ReutersCopyright: ReutersClothes and shoes appear to have been abandoned by people fleeingImage caption: Clothes and shoes appear to have been abandoned by people fleeingReutersCopyright: ReutersAn investigator picks their way through the many belongings left at the siteImage caption: An investigator picks their way through the many belongings left at the siteGetty ImagesCopyright: Getty ImagesPeople gathered outside a nearby hospital to wait for newsImage caption: People gathered outside a nearby hospital to wait for newsReutersCopyright: ReutersOthers gathered outside the site of the crush itself this morningImage caption: Others gathered outside the site of the crush itself this morningArticle share tools
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source and more Yemen crush: Crush at Ramadan charity event kills nearly 80 in Sanaa – BBC News