Stampede at Philippine game show kills 73
 

By RussWilcox [From Sea to Shining Sea}
February 4, 2006

At least 73 people have died and 350 have been injured after a stampede at a sports stadium in the Philippine capital Manila.

Most of the dead were elderly women.

The gathered crowds were scrambling to get into a popular television game show where cash prizes were on offer.

Most of the dead were elderly women, who were trampled underfoot or crushed against a closed steel gate at the bottom of a slope. One child has also been reported killed.

About 25,000 people were at the stadium to watch the first anniversary celebration of the game show "Wowowee", which picks contestants at random from the audience.

Thousands of fans, many of them poor, camped out for days for a chance at the jackpot of 1 million pesos (£10,910).

It is not yet clear what caused the stampede, but some witnesses said rumours of a bomb ran through the crowd causing panic.

However, the mayor of Manila said the stampede began when the crowd pushed and surged toward the closed gates, thinking they were open, trampling those in front.

"The slope was so steep that when one person stumbled, they fell like dominoes," said Vidal Querol, Manila's police chief.

The television network behind the "Wowowee" anniversary event cancelled the show and said it would pay for funeral and hospital expenses.
Telegraph Group

Here's an interesting tidbit:

In a country plagued by poverty, corruption and governmental comedy, such game shows serve as a comforting distraction to Filipinos from the tribulations of everyday life. Now even that is under attack, and the fireworks and finger-pointing that is sure to ensue would be worth watching, albeit not of much comfort to the families affected.