KUALA LUMPUR: Two elderly women died when a large crowd rushed to get free food coupons at ICC Pudu indoor market here.

Dang Wangi OCPD Asst Comm Shaharuddin Abdullah said they received information that two people had died, while several others collapsed at the indoor market at 1.58pm on Monday (Jan 28).

"We dispatched personnel to the scene and found two bodies motionless on the floor.

"Initial checks revealed no foul play was involved," he said.

He added that further investigations revealed that there was a food coupon programme for the elderly from 11am to 1pm.

"The organisers prepared 200 coupons but over a thousand people turned up.

"The two deceased women were identified as Ah Poh, 85, and Law Ion Nang, 78.

"We believe that they had difficulty breathing when they were caught in the crowd," he said, adding that their bodies have been sent to Hospital Kuala Lumpur for a post-mortem.

ACP Shaharuddin said that the next of kin have been notified.

He said one family has claimed the body, while the other would do so tomorrow (Jan 29).

He added that the results of the post-mortem were still pending.