At least 85 killed, more than 100 injured During Yemen Charity Event in Stampede

A stampede breaks out at an event to distribute financial aid in Yemen's capital late night on Wednesday. According to officials, more than 80 people were killed in the stampede, while more than 100 were injured. According to the Houthi-run Interior Ministry, the stampede occurred in the Old City in the center of Sanaa when hundreds of poor people gathered at an event organized by merchants.

13 of the injured are in critical condition

Dozens of injured were taken to nearby hospitals. A senior health official in Sanaa, Motaher al-Marouni, gave the death toll and said at least 13 people were seriously wounded, according to the Houthi rebels' Al-Maseera satellite TV channel.

Restriction on the arrival of people including journalists at the scene

The rebels immediately sealed off the school where the event was held and barred the public, including journalists, from entering. Eyewitnesses Abdel-Rahman Ahmed and Yahia Mohsen said that in an attempt to control the crowd, armed Houthis fired into the air, hitting an electric wire and exploding.

This created panic and people started going on a rampage, he said. The Interior Ministry said it has detained two organizers and an investigation is underway.

Yemen's capital has been under the control of the Iranian-backed Houthis since they overran their northern stronghold in 2014 and ousted the internationally recognized government.

This prompted a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015 to try to restore the government. The conflict has turned into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran in recent years, killing more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians, and leading to one of the world's worst humanitarian disasters.