At least 78 people in Yemen have crushed themselves to death while lining up for charitable donations.

Death stampede site in Sana'a, Yemen. Credit: Al Jazeera

A crowd, visibly frightened by gunfire and an electric blast, panicked at a financial aid distribution event during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in the Yemeni capital late Wednesday night, killing at least 78 people and at least 73 were injured, according to witnesses and representatives of the Houthi rebels.

The tragedy was the deadliest in years unrelated to the protracted war in Yemen, and occurred on the eve of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which marks the end of Ramadan this week.

Armed Houthis. fired into the air in an attempt to control the crowd, apparently hitting an electrical wire and detonating it, according to two witnesses, Abdel-Rahman Ahmed and Yahya Mohsen. According to them, this caused a panic, and people, including many women and children, rushed into a panic.

A video posted to social media shows dozens of bodies, some motionless, others screaming as people try to help. Separate footage of the aftermath released by Houthi officials shows bloodstains, shoes and casualties. clothes scattered on the ground. Investigators were seen surveying the area.

According to the Houthi-run Interior Ministry, the stampede took place in the Old City in central Sana'a, where hundreds of the poor had gathered for a charity event organized by traffickers. Distribution of financial aid is a ritual during Ramadan, when believers fast from dawn to dusk.

People gathered to receive about $10 each from a charity funded by local businessmen, eyewitnesses say. Wealthy people and businessmen often distribute money and food, especially to the poor during Ramadan.

MoI spokesman Abdel-Khalek al-Agri blamed the crush on «random distribution» of funds without the consent of local authorities. .

Motaher al-Maruni, a senior health official, said 78 people had been killed, the rebels' satellite channel Al-Masirah reported. According to the deputy director of the hospital, Hamdan Bagheri, at least 73 people were injured and taken to the Al-Thawra hospital in Sana'a.

Rebels quickly sealed off the school where the event was held and kept people, including journalists, out stay away.

The Interior Ministry said it had detained the two organizers and was investigating.

The Houthis said they would pay about $2,000 in compensation to every family that lost a relative, and those affected would receive about $400.

The Yemeni capital has been under the control of the Iranian-backed Houthis since they descended from their northern stronghold in 2014 year and toppled the internationally recognized government.

This prompted a coalition led by Saudi Arabia to intervene in 2015 to try to restore the government.

The conflict has escalated in recent years into a proxy war between Saudi Arabia and Iran, which killed more than 150,000 people, including militants and civilians, and caused one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world.

More than 21 million people in Yemen, or two-thirds of the country's population, are in need in assistance and protection, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Among those in need, more than 17 million people are considered particularly vulnerable.

In February, the United Nations said it was at a conference aimed at raising funds to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.