Four killed in Kenya as crowd mistakes steam for teargas

Four people were killed on Friday in the western Kenyan town of Kericho when panic broke out after a crowd waiting to enter a stadium to celebrate the country's national day mistook steam from spilled tea for teargas, police said.

A statement from Kericho Police station said the dead were all female, and 13 people had also been injured and rushed to Kericho County Referral Hospital.

It said the steam, which caused people waiting to enter a stadium for Mashujaa (Heroes) day celebrations to flee, came from tea spilled by a vendor.

Police did not give details on the size of the crowd.

The celebrations, led by President William Ruto, later proceeded as scheduled.