Peruvian Police Raid Nightclubs That Open Amid Pandemic, Kill 13 People

Illustration (Unsplash / Pim Myten)

JAKARTA - The raid on a nightclub that remained open during the pandemic in Lima, Peru has turned deadly. At least 13 people died as a result of raids by local police.

Launching CNN, the police previously received reports that Thomas Restobar in the Los Olivos district was holding an illegal party which was attended by more than 120 people. As a result, the police then raided the nightclub and it ended in chaos.

The Peruvian Interior Ministry, in its official statement, explained that the police did not use any type of weapon during the raids. "The police did not use any kind of weapon or tear gas to clean the place," it said.

2020Perú 13 muertos por asfixia y 6 heridos tras irrupción de policía en discoteca en Los Olivos. Había más de 100 personas dentro. Reportan que hubo disparos entre assistants y uniformados. Se había montado operativo para evitar aglomeraciones.pic.twitter.com/YPanmeNgOI

- Janosik Garcia (Janosikgarciaz) August 23, 2020

In the statement, it was explained that the cause of the death was because the visitors panicked and fled. While running, some people crowded and fell. They then died crushed by the stairs. However, the police are still continuing to carry out investigations to find out who was responsible for the incident.

Meanwhile, the authorities detained about 23 people for questioning further. The Peruvian Ministry of Internal Affairs deeply regrets such an event. "The Interior Ministry deeply regrets the deaths of 13 people as a result of the irresponsible criminal acts of unscrupulous business owners."

So far Peru has confirmed 594,326 cases of COVID-19 transmission. Among them, there were 27,663 cases died.