At least 11 women were killed Wednesday in a stampede at a stadium in eastern Afghanistan, where thousands had gathered to apply for visas at a nearby Pakistani consulate, authorities said.
Many people were trampled when they tried to leave the stadium in the city of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, leaving 10 others injured, provincial hospital spokesman Zaher Adel said.
“Unfortunately, this morning tens of thousands of people had flocked to the football stadium, causing the tragic incident,” said the spokesman for the provincial governor, Attaullah Khogyani.
The Pakistani consulate had resumed issuing visas last week after a seven-month hiatus due to the coronavirus outbreak.
To prevent large crowds from gathering at the visa center, applicants had been directed to a nearby soccer stadium in Jalalabad, Khogyani said.
In ultra-conservative Afghanistan, it is customary for women to queue separately from men.
Thousands of Afghans from Nangarhar and other nearby provinces had arrived early in the morning to apply for medical visas or visit relatives.
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