At least 29 people die in stampede at religious festival in Liberia

At least 29 people in Liberia, including 11 children and a pregnant woman, have died in a stampede of worshippers at a Christian ceremony in a densely populated area of the capital, Monrovia, officials said on Thursday.

The stampede erupted when a gang of thugs armed with knives attacked some of the hundreds attending the ceremony at about 9pm on Wednesday, police spokesman Moses Carter told the Associated Press.

One person has been arrested, he said.

The Rev Abraham Kromah, who was holding the ceremony and who runs a church in the New Georgia township of Monrovia, was also brought in for questioning about the incident, police said.

The bodies have been taken to the morgue of Redemption Hospital, close to where the incident occurred in a beach area called New Kru Town.

Street gangs have become an increasing problem in Monrovia and other Liberian cities in recent years, according to residents.

President George Weah was expected to visit the scene on Thursday, according to Liberian media reports.