A club stampede that claimed the lives of two students occurred after a
Nigerian DJ joked that all coach drivers were ready to leave the
nightclub.
DJ David Osahon made the announcement with a ‘comedy’
African accent inside the Lava & Ignite Nightclub in Northampton
just moments before the students, Nabila Nanfuka, 22, and
Laurene-Danielle Jackson, 19, found themselves caught up in a horrific
stampede.
His announcement was one of 14 to occur in half an hour telling people to get on board their coaches.
The
young women had spent the evening enjoying themselves at the club, but
chaotic scenes unfolded following Mr Osahon’s announcement that coach
drivers outside were ready to leave at 3.30am, the inquest heard.
The
inquest heard panic spread as desperate revellers began trampling over
each in a bid to escape leaving people “screaming, crying and moaning”.
Nabila
Nanfuka, a Northampton University leisure and tourism student from
Neasden, north west London, was knocked down and crushed near to the
exit.
Laurene-Danielle
Jackson, a Kingston University psychology and criminology student from
Wembley, north London, was taken to the same hospital with critical
injuries. She was transferred to Glenfield Hospital in Leicester where
she died three weeks later.
Jackson
He added: “I’m more mature and understanding now. I would do things more differently now.”
Miss Jackson’s cause of death was given as cerebral ischemia and traumatic asphyxia consistent with crush injuries.
Miss Nanfuka died from traumatic asphyxia consistent with crush injuries.
The 1,600-capacity club venue – which opened in 1996 – had its licence suspended days after the tragedy.
It closed permanently in November 2011 after operator Luminar Leisure Limited recorded losses of £198 million and went bankrupt.