At least 23 people have been killed and several others injured in a stampede during a giveaway ceremony (zakat), organised ahead of Eid, in Bangladesh's Mymensingh town.
The incident took place early morning today as over a thousand gathered outside the house of a local businessman, Mohammed Shamim, on Atul Chakrabarty Road in town to collect zakat, police and witnesses said.
After Fazr prayers, Shamim's gates were opened for distribution. As hundreds moved through the gates, a stampede was triggered, reported The Daily Star.
The dead include 21 women and two children.
Senior Assistant Police Superintendent Abdur Rashid said that the casualty toll was expected to rise. He added that eight people have arrested in connection to the incident.
Meanwhile, a three-member body has been formed to probe the incident and asked to report on the findings within three days.
