From fr24
About 120 people attempted to crowd through a door as police raided the illegal group (Photo: @MPFN_LN)
At least 13 people have been crushed to death or suffocated after trying to exit a nightclub attacked by police due to coronavirus restrictions.
At least six were injured, including three police officers, as around 120 people tried to escape from the Thomas Restobar club in the Peruvian capital, Lima, on Saturday evening.
Neighbors alerted police to the illegal event at the club in the city’s Los Olivos neighborhood. As officers interrupted the party on the second floor, crowds rushed to flee the hall.
The large group attempted to sneak through the only entrance and found themselves trapped between the door and a staircase leading to the street, leaving several fatally injured, officials said.
Orlando Velasco of the National Police told local radio station RPP: “In these circumstances when people start fighting to get out, it’s tumultuous, everyone is fighting.
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At least 23 people have been arrested following the incident
At least 23 people were also arrested following the incident, the interior ministry said.
Peru is currently grappling with one of the worst Covid-19 epidemics in the world, as it has the second highest infection rate in South America after Brazil.
In March, authorities ordered the closure of nightclubs and bars and banned gatherings of extended families on August 12 in an effort to combat the spread of the virus. A Sunday curfew is also in effect.
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