An investigation is underway after a stampede at a Northampton nightclub left one girl dead and two others seriously injured.

On the 19th October an announcement by the DJ at Lava Ignite Nightclub that coaches home would be leaving in 10 minutes prompted hundreds of clubbers to make a stampede for the exit.

The chaos within the nightclub was made worse when the fire alarm was set off.

Amid the panic student Nabila Nanfuka was knocked from her feet as she made her way down steep steps towards the exit with her friends. She was trampled on at the foot of the staircase and suffered a cardiac arrest. She was rushed to hospital but did not survive her injuries.

Serious injuries required treatment at an intensive care unit

Two other female clubbers sustained serious injuries and required treatment at an intensive care unit, while six more received treatment for more minor injuries including panic attacks.

The police are now looking into concerns that the nightclub had breached its capacity and at issues regarding exits.

Henrietta Phillips, a solicitor at Thompsons Solicitors’ Serious Injuries Team said: “crowd control and plans to allow for safe exiting is crucial whether that is at a football match, a night club or a school. This terribly sad case highlights what can go wrong. In our experience there is nearly always a lack of planning or rules aren't followed. We deal with many cases where there are crowd injuries and the key aim is always to make sure lessons are learned, other establishments take note and necessary changes are made.”