13 dead in stampede in Peru nightclub following police raid

At least 13 people have died during a stampede in a Peru nightclub following a police raid.

On Saturday 22nd August on 9PM, police arrived at Thomas nightclub in Peru’s capital city of Lima to disperse crowds at an illegal party.

When the police arrived at the club, which had around 120 party go-ers in attendance, people tried to escape through the only door to the venue, causing a stampede and trapping people between the second-floor club, the stairs and a single door.

The 13 victims were 11 men and two women aged between 20 and 30, and were either crushed to death or asphyxiated. 23 people were arrested, and 15 of those tested positive for the new coronavirus and will be quarantined. Claudio Ramírez, a Health Ministry official, told AP News the event was “a breeding ground for the transmission of this disease, there was a viral load because it was a closed environment.”

Night clubs have been prohibited from operating in Peru since March amid the COVID-19 pandemic.