At the very least 56 folks have died and dozens of others had been injured in a crowd crush at a soccer stadium in southern Guinea, authorities within the west African state stated.
The Stade du 3 Avril in Nzérékoré, the nation’s second largest metropolis, was internet hosting the ultimate of a soccer event in honour of the chief of the nation’s junta, Mamady Doumbouya, on Sunday afternoon. Native reviews stated hundreds of spectators had been current on the stadium and kids had been among the many victims however didn’t give a definitive determine in both case.
Witnesses stated a disputed pink card was awarded by the referee to the house group of Nzérékoré within the 82nd minute of the match, resulting in a penalty. Followers of the visiting Labé group invaded the pitch and threw stones, whereas safety personnel reportedly responded by releasing teargas that enveloped the group, with many individuals operating over one another in an try to flee.
A witness informed Reuters by cellphone: “Within the rush and scramble that adopted [the teargas], I noticed folks fall to the bottom, ladies and kids trampled underfoot. It was horrible.”
Guinea’s prime minister, Bah Oury, condemned the violence and urged calm in a submit on X on Sunday. He stated the federal government would launch an announcement as soon as it had gathered all the knowledge.
The previous Guinean president Alpha Condé issued a criticism in an announcement: “In a context the place the nation is already marked by tensions and restrictions, this tragedy highlights the hazards of irresponsible organisation.”
Stadium tragedies are usually not unusual in Guinea. In 2009, greater than 150 folks had been killed and dozens of girls had been raped by troopers at a stadium within the nation’s capital, Conakry, the place greater than 50,000 folks had been protesting towards the then dictator Dadis Camara’s plan to run for president in democratic elections.
The Nationwide Alliance for Alternation and Democracy opposition coalition referred to as for an investigation into Sunday’s incident. It stated the event was organised to drum up assist for Doumbouya’s “unlawful and inappropriate” political ambitions.
The navy chief got here to energy in 2021 after a coup deposed Condé, Guinea’s first democratically elected president, within the wake of a controversial third-term victory. Guinea is one in every of plenty of international locations in west and central Africa the place navy takeovers have brought about political upheaval since 2020.
Doumbouya, who’s believed to be contemplating a presidential run in subsequent 12 months’s election, dissolved 53 political events in October.
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