13 people suffocated in a crush during a police raid on a nightclub in Lima, Peru, during a party. The birthday party was illegal due to it violating the country’s coronavirus bans. Organized on social media, it drew a crowd of around 120.

Peru’s Interior Ministry has confirmed 13 deaths from the crush.

Al Arabiyya reports that Latin America had been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic and that Peru has re-imposed stricter curbs on movement. Earlier this month the country re-imposed a Sunday curfew in response to the rising number of infections, in addition to the night-time curfew still in place since mid-March. Peru’s borders remain closed. Schools will also remain closed for the rest of 2020.

The ministry claimed that although there had been no teargas or weapons used during the raid, those attending the party tried to escape through the single exit, in the process trampling each other and becoming trapped in the stairway.

Some party goers, however, disputed the ministry’s version of events. A local resident, who lives near the nightclub, said that police entered the nightclub and threw tear gas canisters at the revellers, boxing them in.

Further, six people, including three police officers, were injured in the incident. 23 people have been detained and authorities are trying to identify the organizers of the party and the owners of the premises.

Meanwhile, Women’s Minister Rosario Sasieta said, “It should never have happened. We are in a pandemic, in a health emergency.” She said she was calling for the maximum punishment to be meted out to the owners of the nightclub.

Umm Muhammed Umar