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Editorial News of Friday, 11 May 2001

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Accra Stadium Disaster - Gruesome scene at 37

The Free Press says as the nation keeps on counting the dead resulting from the stampede at last Wednesday's Accra Hearts of Oak and Kumasi Asante Kotoko match at the Accra Sports Stadium, the scene at the 37 Military Hospital the following day was indeed tragic as countless number of anxious relatives rushed there to find out whether their loved ones were involved.
"By 4.00 am on Thursday, some reports had it that curious relatives from both Kumasi and the suburbs of Accra were at the Ridge, Police and the 37 Military Hospital to identify some of the dead bodies or to find out the fate of their friends and relatives who went to the Stadium the previous day."
When the paper got to the 37 Military Hospital at about 7.00 am, hundreds of cars and scores of people and some volunteers had gathered at the Hospital premises were waiting to gain access into the mortuary to help in identifying some of the dead bodies brought there.
"The spontaneous sounds of wailing that characterized the atmosphere sent even some of the reporters gathered there sobbing. Such was the scene of tragedy that, some concerned relatives and curious onlookers started heaping insults and blame on the police for what they described as a 'trigger happy law enforcers," says Free Press.