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Stampede kills 21 in Indonesia
Twenty-one people were killed and scores more hurt when a crowd stampeded in Indonesia after about 10,000 people queued for a charity handout to mark the Muslim fasting month, the state news agency said on Monday. (Xinhua)

The victims, who are believed to all be women, were among thousands who packed a narrow sidestreet to receive a cash gift worth just £2.36 each from a rich family.
Fearing they would be too late to receive any money, those at the back of the crowd surged forwards and pushed each other over, police said.
In Indonesia, where more than 30 per cent of the population earn less than 18,000 rupiahs (£1.10) per day, the 40,000 rupiahs would be seen as a considerable gift.
‘They were afraid they wouldn’t be able to get the money,’ said national police spokesman Abubakar Nataprawira. (Daily Mail)

Cash handouts are commonly favoured by wealthy Indonesians during Ramadan, when most of Indonesia’s 235 million people fast during daylight hours.
But crowd control is problematic and deaths have occurred at similar events in the past. (Aljazeera)

Many were crushed to death while waiting for cash handout in eastern Indonesia.

Many were crushed to death while waiting for cash handout in eastern Indonesia.

Under a system known as Zakat, wealthy Muslims are required to give away a portion of their money to the poor every year.
There were several thousand people in the crowd waiting to be given money from a rich family.
Some people collapsed because of a lack of oxygen and others were trampled. The injured people were being treated in hospital, according to the state news agency.
A worker at the local Morgue, known as Budi, said that most of the dead were women.
The mayor of Pasuruan, Aminurrahman, said it was unclear what had sparked the stampede.
“It’s an annual activity from that family,” he told local radio, “but there were a lot more people lining up today than in previous years.” (BBC)

The town mayor blamed the tragedy on lack of coordination with the police during the charity event.
Political analyst Sandyawan says this tragedy shows the government remains strong, while the ordinary people remain weak.
He says the government blames the people for not coordinating with the police, when in fact it is the government’s responsibility to protect the people.(VOA)

Photos from Gulfnews

We (Me, Yulia and Rizqi) express our deepest sympathy to family member.
May Allah accept their good deeds while they lived and be accepted at His side and the bereaved family be given strength to face during this difficult moment.