At least nine people were killed in a stampede at a shopping mall in the Ugandan capital on Sunday during New Year celebrations, police said.

After setting off firecrackers in front of the Freedom City Center in Kampala, "a stampede occurred, resulting in the death of five people on the spot and injuring others," according to the police, who added that "emergency teams arrived at the scene and transported the injured to the hospital, where nine people were confirmed dead".

Police spokesman Luc oisigier said in a statement that "young people" were among the victims, denouncing the facts of "recklessness and negligence" without giving further details.

These new year celebrations in Uganda, located in the Great Lakes region of Africa, were the first in three years, after the lifting of restrictions imposed to combat the covid-19 pandemic and security problems.