TRAGEDY IN CENTRAL MINSK, 54 DEAD

Yesterday’s beer festival and a rock concert ended up with a horrible stampede in central Minsk, leaving 54 dead, mostly young women. The beer festival organized by the Minsk-based largest brewery Olivaria was authorized by local authorities, and was taking place at an outdoor scene near the Sports Palace. After a sharp worsening of the weather with heavy storm and hail by 8:30 p.m., over 2500 crowds dashed into a nearby underground passage of Nyamiha metro station, seeking shelter from the rain. The rushing people got blocked in the passage tunnel, where the tragedy took place. Police attempted to control the rush, yet they were swept away, leaving two policemen dead on a spot. According to the Interior Ministry of Belarus, 54 were killed, 42 out of them teenage girls. Most of the victims were trampled and suffocated, officials said.

GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHES COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE THE TRAGEDY

Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko today signed a decree establishing a special governmental commission to investigate into the yesterday’s stampede tragedy. The commission is chaired by Belarus Prime Minister Sergei Ling. The government also announced the two days of mourning across Belarus. Speaking at the scene of tragedy this morning, Lukashenko said families of the dead will be given compensations 100m Belarusian rubles each to cover funeral expenses. Families of the injured also will receive 30m each of money compensations.

RUSSIAN PRESIDENT SENDS HIS CONDOLENCES TO ALEXANDER LUKASHENKO

Russian President Boris Yeltsin sent Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko a telegram expressing his condolences at the yesterday’s tragedy in Minsk which took away numerous lives. "We share your feeling of deep sorrow and express our sincere condolences to the people of fraternal Belarus, all relatives and friends of the victims", Yeltsin wrote.

BELARUS INTERIOR AND MAYOR’S OFFICE ESTABLISHED TELEPHONE HOT LINE

The main city department of the Ministry of Interior and Minsk municipal executive committee have opened two telephone hot lines which provide information on the citizens killed and injured during the yesterday’s stampede in the Nyamiha metro station. Citizens that are seeking their relatives are invited to call 229-4002 and 227-0360, and also district police station which also receive up-dated information on the victims. By 3 p.m., 11 dead only have been identified.

MALADY FRONT CALLS TO MOURN FOR A WEEK

Malady Front, the youth section of Belarusian Popular Front (BNF), has called on everyone to come by 7 p.m. every day during a week to the tragedy scene with candles and flowers to pray for the killed youth. They suggested the mourning should continue till the end of the week.

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