What happened in Yemen? Almost 80 people killed and others injured in Ramadan crush at Sanaa school

Almost 80 people have been killed following a crush at a school in Sanaa, Yemen.

Hundreds of people lined the narrow street outside the Maeen School, which is located in the Old City area of the rebel-held capital. They were at the school to receive donations worth around £8 each as part of a Ramadan charity event held by a merchant the day before Eid al-Fitr.

It has been confirmed that 71 people died in the crush, with hundreds others injured. It is also believed that women and children were among those killed.

However, rebel officials said that the unofficial event was held without notice to authorities. A statement from the Houthi-controlled interior ministry said that the organisers of the event have been arrested.

The Houthi movement is an Islamist political organisation aligned with Iran. The Houthis have controlled the city since the height of the Yemeni civil war in 2014, when they overthrew the government.

According to eyewitnesses, Houthi officers allegedly fired bullets into the sky in an attempt to control the crowd. This shot then hit an electrical wire, causing a large spark which prompted panic and the subsequent crush. However, others on the scene said that Houthi officers only began shooting into the sky after the crush had begun.

Mohammed Ali al-Houthi, head of the Houthis' Supreme Revolutionary Council, said on Twitter that people had been attempting to access the donations through a gate which was reached by narrow steps on the small street. He added that the crush occurred when the gate was fully opened, and blamed the Saudi-led coalition for an "economic catastrophe".

The Houthis' General Zakat Authority said that each family who lost someone in the crush would be given the value of £1,600. The families of those who were injured will receive the value of £322 in Yemeni rial.