Three women were reportedly trampled to death at a popular local disco in Budapest on Saturday evening, local media reported on Sunday.
Police said overcrowding and safely violations may have led to sudden panic at the popular West Balkan disco, causing thousands to fled through the narrow exists of the building.
Initial rumors were that the three female victims had been stabbed to death, but police later ruled this and said they were victims of the stampede. Initial reports also said the cause of the panic was a fistfight, but police investigations also ruled that out.
According to medics, the three victims showed injuries inflicted by external causes and these might have been the result of shoves and kicks suffered during the panic. The exact cause of death will be announced after autopsies have been carried out.
The West Balkan disco is designed to hold up to 1,600 visitors but, according to media reports, there were at least 1,800 pieces of clothing which had been checked in at the cloakroom, indicating that many more were in the building.
Police sealed off the building after the incident, forcing hundreds of young people to spend the night waiting at Budapest's nearby west train station.
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