Kenya, East Africa | THE BLACK EXAMINER | Four women tragically lost their lives in a stampede in western Kenya on Friday when a crowd panicked after confusing spilled tea’s steam with tear gas, according to the police.
The incident occurred outside a stadium in Kericho, where President William Ruto was scheduled to deliver a speech several hours later in observance of Heroes’ Day, a public holiday honoring those who fought for Kenya’s independence in 1963.
The chaos ensued when a woman selling tea accidentally spilled it into a fire while people were waiting in the early hours to enter the stadium. A police report explained, “There was a stampede caused by a lady who was selling tea outside the stadium who accidentally spilled hot tea in the fire near gate C along the public road. As a result, members of the public panicked and mistook it to be tear gas thrown at them.”
Several individuals sustained injuries and were transported to the hospital, where four unidentified women were tragically confirmed dead.
Despite the tragic incident, events to commemorate Heroes’ Day continued as planned at the 10,000-capacity stadium, including an address by President Ruto.
