LONDON –
Two people who were critically injured in attacks while attending London’s Notting Hill Carnival earlier this week have died, police said Saturday.
The Metropolitan Police force said 32-year-old Cher Maximen died early Saturday after being stabbed in the street on Aug. 25. She had been visiting the carnival, billed as Europe’s biggest street party, with her child, who was not hurt.
A 20-year-old local man was arrested and charged with attempted murder, and is now likely to face a murder charge.
Police also announced the death of Mussie Imnetu, 41, who was found unconscious in a west London street with a head injury on Monday night. The chef had been visiting Britain from his home in Dubai.
A 31-year-old London man has been charged with causing grievous bodily harm, and police said the charge would be reviewed after Imnetu’s death.
More than one million people each year attend the carnival, a two-day celebration of Afro-Caribbean culture that takes place on the streets of the Notting Hill neighbourhood in west London.
The event draws revellers from around the world for its flamboyant dancers, colourful costumes, rousing steel bands and booming outdoor sound systems, but is sometimes marred by violence on the sidelines. Police said eight people were stabbed at the event this year and more than 300 people were arrested, most for possessing an offensive weapon or drug offenses.
“Carnival is about bringing people together in a positive celebration. That it has ended with the tragic loss of life, among other incidents of serious violence, will sadden everyone involved,” said Commander Charmain Brenyah, the police spokesperson for Carnival.
