At least 56 people, including several children, have died following a soccer stadium stampede in southern Guinea, authorities said.
The tragedy unfolded in the west African nation on Sunday, Dec. 1 during the afternoon final of a local tournament, according to multiple news outlets including Reuters and CBS News.
Following a questionable call by a referee on the field, fans threw stones, rushed the pitch, and some were crushed in the process, while others tried to escape the melee by jumping a high fence, according to the Associated Press.
Police fired tear gas into the crowd in an effort to restore order, Reuters reported.
“The government deplores the incidents that marred the football match between the Labe and Nzerekore teams this afternoon in Nzerekore,” Guinea’s Prime Minister Amadou Oury Bah said on X. “During the stampede, victims were recorded. The regional authorities are working to restore calm and serenity among the population.”
Bah added that the government is investigating the incident, and will offer more details at a later time.
Witnesses at the event — which was a tournament in honor of Guinea’s military leader Mamady Doumbouya — described a terrifying ordeal in which small children were seriously injured.
“The stone throwing started and the police joined in, firing tear gas,” Amara Conde told Reuters. “In the rush and scramble that followed, I saw people fall to the ground, girls and children trampled underfoot. It was horrible.”
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Guinea has been under military rule since 2021 when soldiers ousted President Alpha Conde, according to CBS News.
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