A stampede at a concert yesterday in the city of Valencia, 100 kilometres southwest of Caracas, left 11 people dead and about 30 injured, Venezuelan authorities said.
Civil Defence regional boss Mr Omar Dran denied earlier reports that the stampede outside the concert venue, the city bull ring, was provoked when a shot was fired.
"People panicked and started pushing toward the main gate of the bull ring, with thousands of people being drawn into the stampede," Mr Dran said. He blamed "human lack of judgement" for the tragedy.
Civil Defence official Mr Rafael Loaiza said that in the queues for the concert, "they apparently put the children in front and the adults started to push, and they weren't concerned when those people fell down".
He did not say how many children had died, but local reports put the figure at nine at least.
The concert's organiser, Venevision, which belongs to the Cuban-Venezuelan company Diego Cisneros, went ahead and broadcast the event live from Valencia.
AFP