Stampede at Ghana Festival Injures 23, Event Cancelled

A stampede at a major Ghanaian cultural festival in London left dozens of people injured and forced the abrupt cancellation of the event due to overcrowding on Saturday, August 1. The incident occurred at the Ghana Party in the Park, also known as ShattaFest, held at Copthall Playing Fields in Barnet.

Emergency services responded to what they described as a major incident at the venue in the early evening. Police and organisers stated that several people sustained non-life-threatening injuries in a crowd crush. One report from the scene indicated at least 23 people were injured. Emergency vehicles, including air ambulances, were dispatched, with paramedics treating multiple patients at the scene and conveying three to nearby hospitals.

Witnesses described chaotic scenes as a crowd surged near the entrance after gates were temporarily closed. The Metropolitan Police said a small fire near the entrance required the gates to be shut, causing a buildup of people. When the gates reopened, a surge occurred, with some attendees reportedly tripping and becoming trapped under the press of the crowd. Officers and event staff used megaphones in an attempt to control the crowd, and police...