By Ariba Shahid
KARACHI (Reuters) – At least two people were killed in a stampede at a distribution site for food aid in the southern Pakistani city of Karachi on Friday, a health official said, one of several such incidents in recent weeks as the country’s economic crisis bites.
Karachi’s Civil Hospital received two dead bodies after the incident, medical superintendent Sabir Memon told Reuters.
However, local broadcaster Geo, citing police and emergency response sources, said at least 11 people had died during the stampede.
Thousands of people have gathered at flour distribution centres set up across the country as part of the government’s efforts to ease the impact of inflation, which is running above 30%, a 50-year high.
It was not immediately clear whether Friday’s deadly stampede had occurred at a site under the government-backed programme or at a private charity distribution site.
At least five other people have been killed and several injured in recent weeks at sites in other provinces in Pakistan. Thousands of bags of flour have also been looted from trucks and distribution points, according to official records.
The stampedes underscore people’s desperation in the face of soaring costs, exacerbated by Pakistan’s falling currency and a removal of subsidies agreed with the International Monetary Fund to unlock the latest tranche of its financial support packages.
The costs of basic goods have surged, with flour prices rising more than 45% in the past year.
The Pakistani government has launched the flour distribution programme to reach millions of families in need during the holy Islamic month of Ramadan that began last week.
(Reporting by Ariba Shahid in Karachi, Writing by Charlotte Greenfield; Editing by Gareth Jones)
