A stampede at the entrance of Madagascar's national stadium, which hosted the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games, resulted in 12 people killed and 80 injured, the country's Prime Minister Christian Ntsay said.
The minister noted that 11 of the injured were in critical condition.
Madagascar's President Andry Rajoelina, who was present at the opening ceremony, addressed the crowd at the stadium and called for a minute of silence.
"An unfortunate event happened. There was a stampede at the entrance. There were a lot of injuries. We will observe a few seconds of silence because compatriots have died when they wanted to enter," the leader was quoted by the media as saying.
A moment of silence was reportedly followed by a laser show and fireworks. The ceremony continued.
In 2019, a similar incident occurred at Mahamasina Stadium, where at least 15 were killed.
The Indian Ocean Island Games is a multi-sport event for athletes from Mauritius, Seychelles, Comoros, Madagascar, Mayotte, Reunion and the Maldives. The games, established in 1977 by the International Olympic Committee, aim to facilitate regional cooperation in the field of sport.