International Desk : At least 12 people were killed after a stampede of sport fans trying to enter Madagascar’s national stadium for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games on Friday, AFP reports.

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Madagascar’s Prime Minister Christian Ntsay told “The provisional toll shows 12 dead and some 80 injured.”

The Indian Ocean Island Games are a multi-disciplinary competition being held in Madagascar through September 3.

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They were made by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1977, and include athletes from Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Réunion and the Maldives.

Madagascar President Andry Rajoelina, who was present at the opening ceremony, called for a minute of silence.

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He said in a speech. “A tragic event occurred because there was pushing. There were injuries and deaths at the entrance.”

TV broadcast showed dazed and shocked people trying to locate their shoes piled amongst objects lost in the deadly crush.

Other images from inside the stadium, shared on social media, showed the stands packed with spectators.

Sun News/MR

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