The government has formed a probe committee to investigate the incident in which 10 people have died in Chittagong (Chattaogram) when thousands gathered for a charity giveaway.

The incident was reported on Monday from a village in Satkania Upazila’s Nalua Union.

The committee headed by Additional District Magistrate Mashudul Kabir is consisted of five members and asked to submit report within seven days.

Chittagong District Commissioner Ilyas Hossain confirming about committee said, “According to the primary information, we are convinced that due to mismanagement of KSRM Group, the tragic incident happened.”

He, however, said, everything will be revealed after the getting the final report.

Thousands gathered on Monday at Nalua Union for a Zakat giveaway by business group KSRM on Monday. Many have been hospitalised after suffering from heatstroke.

Zakat is the charity made annually under Islamic law on certain kinds of property.

Local Union Council Chairperson Taslima Akter said all of the 10 victims were female. As many as 12 others have been injured.

Police, however, are yet to confirm the actual number deaths and said that the deaths were due to heatstroke.

“Several people have suffered from heatstroke and six to seven of them died,” said Superintendent of Police Nur-e Alam Mina.

According to Union Council Chairperson Akter, the business group organises the giveaway every year on the grounds of a local mosque.

“At least 20 thousand people gathered. The crowd and the high temperature caused nine people to die after suffering from heatstroke,” she said.

KSRM says the will compensate the victims.

“We had our own security personnel as well as police. But still it happened, may be due to the crowd,” CEO Meherul Karim told Bangla Tribune.