ZAMBOANGA CITY, 14 October 2005 — Dozens of people were hurt when a rock concert in the southern Philippines turned wild and sent the crowds into a frenzy, hurling bottles into the air, police said yesterday.
Police said an estimated 20,000 fans pushed each other, breaking glass windows and sent policemen rushing to control the crowd two hours into the concert of the country’s top bands, Hale and Cueshe, late Tuesday inside a jampacked coliseum in Zamboanga City.
Police officer Romeo Katimbag said ambulances were unable to enter the stadium. Hundreds of fans outside the coliseum were also trying to break in, but police held them at bay.
“It was a security nightmare,” another policeman said.
Some fans said the coliseum should not have been used for the concert as it could accommodate only 8,000 people.
Previous rock concerts were held at the open field sports complex, about 2 kilometers from the coliseum.
