13 people are dead and three injured after a deadly stampede broke out in a nightclub early Sunday morning in Lima, Peru. Authorities reported the club was operating illegally amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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According to TMZ, a video shows 120 attendees attempting to exit the club after officers arrived at the Thomas Restobar in Los Olivos. A stampede ensued as they were trying to exit through a stairwell and several people were crushed to death. Authorities state the club was operating illegally since Peru enforced a curfew for 10 pm due to the overwhelming numbers of coronavirus cases.
The Ministry of the Interior said in a statement that the police did not use any force or tear gas during the raid and arrested 23 people. They are currently looking for the owners of the nightclub and the people responsible for hosting the event.
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“The Ministry of the Interior profoundly regrets the deaths of 13 people as a consequence of the criminal irresponsibility of an unscrupulous business owner,”