Guatemala: At Least 9 Dead After Stampede During a Rock Concert

What was supposed to be a concert celebrating Guatemala's Independence Day turned to tragedy after a massive stampede crushed many people, leading to the deaths of at least nine individuals, with over 20 people injured.

According to the Associated Press, the rock concert was organized by a local beer maker and held on a field often used for events such as this. It kicked off in the city of Quetzaltenango on Wednesday without incident, but a stampede happened the very next day.

One concertgoer told the AP that the stampede happened late in the night, and she was concerned because there were still children attending that fatal concert. It is unclear if any of those children were caught up in the stampede.

Area Around Field Where Stampede Happened Closed Off, Only Had 2 Access Points

The incident happened as Guatemalan rock band Bohemia Suburbana closed the show. Some people were already trying to leave while others were still trying to enter. However, one concert-goer stated that there were only two access points into the concert area, and both were very small.

The entire area was closed off, and the people were funneled into these small access points. This is further complicated by the rain which resulted in the venue becoming muddy, making some people fall, while others could not move.

CBS News reported that videos are now circulating social media, showing the stampede. It showed that bodies piled on top of one another, and shouting can be heard as people screamed to stop pushing,

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Firefighters and the Guatemalan Red Cross rushed to the scene immediately and confirmed that at least nine people died, with over 20 injured. The Red Cross also noted that those who were injured have now been stabilized.

Several people suffered fractures, while Reuters reported that six people have been hospitalized after the stampede.

So far, the Guatemalan government has not yet revealed the names of those who passed away during the incident. However, reports stated that relatives of those who went to the concert have arrived to identify the nine dead bodies.

Quetzaltenango Official Says Concert Organizers Had Little Crowd Control and Security

Quetzaltenango, where the concert stampede happened, held the second largest independence celebration in Guatemala. It happened on the country's very Independence Day and was supposed to be the highlight of the evening as the country celebrated 201 years of independence from Spanish rule.

Amilcar Rivas, who serves as the Quetzaltenango city manager, said that the organizers of the concert "did not have a grip on security and crowd control." However, the official admitted that they did have a permit to hold the Independence Day concert.

The Independence Day celebrations were long awaited by Guatemalans, who were forced to hold off their Bicentennial Independence Day celebrations for two years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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