Tragedy struck a pre-Chinese New Year event at the ICC Pudu indoor market in Kuala Lumpur today, after two elderly women who were caught in the throng of rushing senior citizens who had all gathered to receive free food coupons.
ICC hawker center had decided to offer free food to a finite number of elderly patrons in the lead-up to lunar new year celebrations, and the event was intended to be a registration to receive coupons for this. Anticipating a large group, they had prepared for 200 individuals to come through between the 11am and 1pm sign-up time.
Several senior citizens were caught in the large group, and reported that they found it hard to breathe from within the crowd. Police were called to the scene at 12:04pm, and found four individuals in distress.
Two of these persons succumbed to their injuries, with the dead being identified as 85-year-old Ah Poh, and Law Ion Nang, 78.
While conclusive cause of death has yet to be determined, officials believe that the women were put under duress when the crowds jostled forward and where unable to breathe.
Their bodies have since been sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for a postmortem.
