Stampede kills 25 at charity handout

At least 25 people, mostly women and children, were killed and dozens were injured in a stampede in
Bangladesh on Friday when hundreds of destitute people rushed for a clothing charity handout to mark the holy month of Ramadan, police said.

The crushed happened when more than 1,500 people gathered outside a chewing tobacco factory to collect free clothing in Mymensingh, 115 km (70 miles) north of the capital.

"The moment the door opened, all the people altogether rushed through the gate. Many fell on the ground and others ran over them, and they died," said Anowara Begum, who was injured in the stampede.

Six people, including the owner of the factory, have been arrested on suspicion of failing to ensure safety, police official Mahbubur Rahman said.

Stampedes are not uncommon in South Asia during religious gatherings and festivals.

In March, at least 10 people were killed in a stampede during a Hindu ritual attended by thousands of devotees on the banks of a river near Dhaka.