Eight people have died in a stampede on Monday, March 6, as thousands of people struggled to collect food handouts at a church event in Lusaka, Zambia.

The tragic incident which happened at, the Olympic Youth Development Centre, left 8 dead and 28 others injured out of 35,000 people who attended the Church of Christ programme.

Zambian police, while confirming the incident said an inquiry has been opened to find out what happened. The police spokesperson said: “We have since dispersed the gathering and an inquiry into the matter has been instituted.’’

According to World Bank, about 42% of Zambians are living in poverty.