Dozens of University of Florida Students Injured as Stampede Breaks out at Israel Vigil

"It was an accident that was misinterpreted by the crowd that led to panic,” University of Florida Police Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick said in a statement

A candlelight vigil for the victims in the Hamas attack in Israel at the University of Florida descended into a stampede leaving dozens of people injured on Monday night.

According to a statement from the University of Florida Police Department, members of the Jewish community had gathered at the university's Turlington Plaza in support of Israel. Just before 9 p.m. one attendee fainted, which led those in the crowd to ask for 911 to be called.

However, the University of Florida Police Department said, “the call was misunderstood by the crowd, which dispersed in a panic.” The University of Florida Police Department said officers “immediately secured the scene” and “escorted the crowd away from the area.”

Police Chief Linda Stump-Kurnick said in a statement: “We have no reason to believe that there was malicious intent behind this incident. It was an accident that was misinterpreted by the crowd that led to panic.”

The department reported that "at least five" people were treated for minor injuries on the scene after the “crowd rush” by the Gainesville Fire Rescue Department and Gator Emergency Medical Response unit, which were pre-staged for the event.

However, The Gainesville Sun reported that more than 30 people from the university's “United with Israel” candlelight vigil that were treated for injuries at UF Health Shands Hospital and that the hospital had described the incident as a "mass casualty" event due to the large number of patients. 

Related: Israeli Defense Minister Calls for ‘Complete Siege’ of Gaza Strip Two Days After Hamas' Surprise Attack

Witnesses told the publication that as the crowd dispersed, people fell and tripped over each other, leading to several people sustaining injuries. Students received treatment at the hospital for concussions and gashes that needed stitches, and one student was transported to the hospital via ambulance for a broken leg, according to The Gainesville Sun.

Related: Joe Biden Says Americans ‘Likely’ Among Hostages Taken by Hamas During Surprise Attack

"It was a real stampede," Chanie Goldman, co-director of the Chabad Jewish Student Center, told The Gainesville Sun. "Kids are very shaken up ... People came to the event on edge to begin with because there is a fear [of] going to any Jewish event that something could happen."

There are over 9,000 Jewish undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Florida, according to the website of the university’s Jewish organization, Hillel.

According toThe Gainesville Sun, the vigil will now be held at a later date.

to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.PEOPLE's free daily newsletter Never miss a story — sign up for 

The university's candlelight vigil comes after at least 200 people were killed and hundreds more injured along the Gaza strip in Israel, per CNN, following a surprise attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas over the weekend. The act prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to say that the country is “at war” and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to also announce “a complete siege on Gaza,” Since the Saturday attack from Hamas, the death toll on both sides of the conflict has risen considerably, according to CBS News on Wednesday, who reported that 1,200 Israelis have died and 950 people have been killed on the Gaza strip as a result of airstrikes carried out in retaliation by Israeli forced.

In light of the recent events, President Joe Biden issued a statement saying that police departments have stepped up security around Jewish centers in cities across the U.S. and that they are “closely monitoring” for any “domestic threats” in connection with the attacks in Israel.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.