Several people present during the stampede that occurred this Saturday at the Miami-Dade County Fairgrounds claim to have heard gunshots, but the authorities deny this information according to which there was never any real danger.
The scene which was shown outside the Youth Fair on Saturday evening showed dozens of ambulances and police patrols responding to the spot after reports of a stampede among attendees at the event that is traditionally celebrated in Southwest County.
Preliminary reports say it all happened after a group of children started running through a venue at the fair and it alarmed those in attendance, Miami-Dade Fire Department officials said. , who added that several people suffered minor injuries, but no one was taken to hospital.
Miami-Dade police confirmed that the shooting reports that many people had reported were false and that there was no threat to public safety.
For their part, the organizers of the fair said that several groups of miners had caused panic in a coordinated effort to run and alarm other customers. They added that Miami-Dade County Police and Fire Department worked diligently to restore order and assist guests.
After talking to several people trapped in the middle of all this chaos, we learned of the desperate times experienced by those present at the fair.
Claudia Ariza, who was present during the stampede, says: “We were queuing to buy the pizza. My daughter was sitting at a table and I was on the other side when we started to see all the people (who) came towards us in a rush.”
Another person present during the stampede was Sandra Velázquez, who recalls: “People were running like crazy, protecting themselves from everything. I couldn’t get up, people were running over me… the only thing I said to my husband was: ‘run with my daughter, run away with my daughter’”, she recalls in tears.
Event organizers added the following in a statement: “We are committed to reassuring our community that the Miami-Dade County Youth Fair is a safe tradition. Our team is reviewing and considering options to strengthen security measures. .
Some people claim to have heard the gunshots, but Miami-Dade County police continue to report this incident as a false alarm.