Multiple people have been injured and carried out on stretchers after a ‘stampede’ at a family-friendly festival in north London as too many people turned up.
The organisers of Ghana Party in the Park were forced to end the event ‘abruptly’ at Copthall Playing Fields in Barnet on Saturday after it became ‘overcrowded’, police and organisers said.
Several festivalgoers have suffered ‘non-life threatening injuries’ following the crush and footage from the event shows dozens of emergency vehicles, including air ambulances, present.
Witnesses saw injured people being carried away on stretchers as medics attended the scene.
One 18-year-old described the incident as ‘very chaotic’, adding that the festival was ‘very poorly organised’.
Another said: ‘Ghana Party in the Park, aka ShattaFest, has had a stampede, with people seriously injured.
‘Two air ambulances (helicopters) have flown in to take some of the injured away.
‘People have been unable to get into the event since 2pm. There are probably 1,000 people outside right now.’
Multiple people were left with non-life threatening injuries after a ‘stampede’ due to overcrowding
Witnesses saw injured people being carried away on stretchers as medics attended the scene
It has also been reported that ‘several fans passed out due to overcrowding’ on the playing fields.
Pictures from the festival, also billed as ShattaFest UK, show rows of ambulances and fire engines at the scene on Saturday afternoon.
And footage from elsewhere at the event shows police officers reassuring huge crowds of people standing next to a large barrier, which could possibly be the entrance to the festival.
Ghana Party in the Park is an annual outdoor festival for the Ghanaian diaspora in London which has been running since 2005.
It attracts more than 8,000 people, according to the London Assembly website, making it the largest Ghanaian event outside of Ghana.
The event’s website describes it as a ‘cultural festival celebrating the very best of Ghanaian music, culture, food, fashion and community’.
In a statement on Saturday night, organisers said: ‘Following the unfortunate incident at today’s event, we wish to provide an update regarding the abrupt closure of Ghana in the Park.
‘The decision to close the festival was made solely on the grounds of health and safety.
‘Officers from the London Ambulance Service and the London Fire Brigade responded to a major incident on site.
‘Following discussions with the emergency services and our health and safety team, it was agreed that closing the festival was the safest option in order to protect all attendees.’
The statement came amid claims that there had been stabbings at the festival, however the organisers said nobody was attacked.
They added: ‘We would like to clarify that there were no incidents of stabbing and deaths as being speculated.’
Earlier the organisers had said the event was ‘temporarily paused’ due to a ‘major incident’ and asked festivalgoers to ‘stay away from the area’.
The Met Police also said in a statement that reports of a ‘stabbing’ are inaccurate, and that the festival was closed due to overcrowding.
A spokesman said: ‘Officers are at Copthall Playing Fields where Ghana Party in the Park has been cancelled after an overcrowding issue at the entrance saw several people sustain non-life threatening injuries.
‘Speculation about a stabbing is inaccurate. Please help us by avoiding the area.’
A spokesman for Barnet Council said: ‘The Ghana Party in the Park event at Copthall Playing Fields has ended early this evening after an overcrowding issue at the entrance saw several people sustain non-life threatening injuries.
‘The police and council officers are on site, please help us by avoiding the area.’
The Daily Mail has approached the organisers as well as the Metropolitan Police and London Ambulance Service for further comment.
