Several dead in Nigerian election rally stampede

AFP

12 February 2011

Several dead in Nigerian election rally stampede

Several people were trampled to death in Nigeria’s southern oil-rich Niger Delta region on Saturday at President Goodluck Jonathan’s election campaign rally, his office and police said.

The stampede occurred after a policeman fired into the air as thousands of supporters surged out of the 20,000 seater stadium after Jonathan’s address in the oil hub city of Port Harcourt, an AFP correspondent said.

An AFP correspondent saw three bodies of women lying on the ground.

Some eyewitnesses said the death toll could be as high as 10.