Four children killed in rush for free mosquito nets

A collapsing wall killed four children in northern Zambia during a stampede to collect free mosquito nets, local media reported today.

Officials from the Zambian Ministry of Health were distributing the nets in the Chitulika village community centre in the northern town of Mpika on Wednesday as a part of an anti-malaria campaign, the government-owned Zambia Daily Mail reported.

The stampede occurred after several people who had not registered to receive the nets swarmed the centre, the area’s member of Parliament, Mwansa Kapeya, told the newspaper.

The children three girls and one boy were killed. Six adults were injured, with two women suffering broken bones.