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Morocco: Eleven Killed in Deadly Stampede at Music Festival

· Written by Hisham Almiraat

Categories: Middle East & North Africa, Morocco, Arts & Culture, Breaking News, Music

At least 11 people were killed [1] and 30 wounded on Saturday night, 23 May, during a music concert in Rabat, the Moroccan capital, at the Mawazine world music festival [2].

The incident happened when the festival was drawing to a close on Saturday night after a wire fence collapsed in the Hay Nahda stadium where over 70,000 spectators were packed.

The news was reported by The View From Fez [3] and blogger Taha Balafrej [4]who deplores a sad and regrettable incident:

D’autant plus […] que le festival Mawazine, aujourd’hui endeuillé, s’est imposé par sa programmation, par l’engouement du public, par la qualité des prestations et des moyens techniques, comme l’évènement populaire et culturel par excellence de la capitale, du Maroc et peut-être même du continent.

It's even more so that the Mawazine Festival, today mourning the dead, has established itself -thanks to its program, the keen interest of the public, the quality of performances and the technical means- as the Moroccan capital's popular and cultural event par excellence, and maybe even at the continent level.

Also on Global Voices Online:
Morocco: When Arabs Rock [5]