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The Police have begun investigations into the cause of a riot that led to the death of nine people at the Asawasi Community Centre Thursday dawn.
 
According to the Acting Manhyia Divisional Commander of Police, Superintendent of Police Rev Samuel Nyamekye Adane-Ameyaw, the police were yet to make any arrest to that effect.

He said the police were yet to get in touch with the managers of the centre to get the contacts of the organisers of the musical concerts.

According to him, the police had no information on the said concert and as such was unable to provide security at the venue.

Rev Adane-Ameyaw said per the arrangement with the Asokore-Mampong Municipal Security Council, all programmes lined up for the celebration of the Eid-Ul-Fitr were to end by 8pm.

However, he said even after 9pm, some of the youth who were having their usual procession which formed part of the Eid-U-Fitr celebration, refused to go home and had to be dispersed by the police.

Unknowing to the police, he said the group had regrouped at the community centre where they continued with the celebration.

He said it was during the celebration that a misunderstanding ensued and in an attempt to forestall the problem from a degenerating into a fight, someone decided to off the main power switch.

The panic stricken patrons started running for their dear lives leading to the stampede which claimed nine lives and injured six people.

Injured

They injured are Rashida Hassan, 22 years; Iddrissu Sumaya, 16 years; Mariam Yakubu, 18 years; Ibrahim Barikisu 14 years; Karim Murtala, 16 years and Charles Asamoah, 21 years.

Dead

Six females and three males perished in the stampede and four of them have been identified only as Latifah, Bintu, Sumaya and Lorya.

As at the time of going to press, some family members were trouping to the Manhyia Hospital to identify some of the victims.