Updated at 6:50 a.m., Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Stampede at concert of Arab 'American Idol' kills 7
Associated Press
TUNIS, Tunisia — A stampede at an open-air concert by stars of the Arab version of "American Idol" killed seven young people and injured 32 in southern Tunisia, a Health Ministry official said today.Fans swarmed the stage late Monday in the southern city of Sfax at the "Star Academy" concert attended by more than 10,000 people, the TAP news agency reported.
Six boys and young men aged 12 to 21 were trampled to death and one girl, whose age was not provided, died overnight of injuries suffered in the crush, a Health Ministry official said. He asked not to be named because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the incident.
Seven of 32 people hospitalized were under close medical supervision, the ministry official said. Interior Minister Rafik Haj Kacem traveled to the scene, and an official investigation was under way.
The competition, hosted by Lebanese television network LBC, is in its fourth edition and has drawn a huge following among youths across the Arab world.
