At least 56 football fans, including children, were killed in a stampede during a local tournament match in Nzerekore in Guinea, held in honour of the country’s military leader Mamadi Doumbouya.
The chaos on Sunday began after fans of the visiting team, Labe, protested a referee’s decision and threw stones, leading to a crowd surge onto the field. Police are reported to have used tear gas to try and disperse the crowd.
Amadou Oury Bah, the prime minister, confirmed the casualties earlier, but did not provide details.
A statement from the government, led by a military junta, said on Monday: “Protests of dissatisfaction with refereeing decisions led to stone-throwing by supporters, resulting in fatal stampedes.”
It added that “hospital services have put the provisional death toll at 56”.
Local media and political groups reported numerous injuries, with some victims in critical condition.
According to local news website MediaGuinea, the match was part of a tournament held in honour of Mr Doumbouya, who came to power following a coup in September 2021.
Local hospitals are overwhelmed, with morgues full, but no official casualty figures have been released, according to the Associated Press. Authorities are reportedly working to restore calm, and an investigation has been launched.
Videos shared on social media depicted chaotic scenes outside the stadium, with crowds in disarray and multiple bodies seen lying on the ground, AFP reported.
“There are bodies lined up as far as the eye can see in the hospital. Others are lying on the floor in the hallways. The morgue is full,” a doctor was quoted as saying by the agency.
He said, “there are around 100 dead”. Another doctor said there were “dozens of dead”.
“The government deplores the incidents that marred the football match between the Labe and Nzerekore teams this afternoon,” Mr Bah said in a statement. “Victims were recorded during the stampede.”
“The regional authorities are working to restore calm and serenity among the population,” he added. “The government is closely monitoring the situation and urges everyone to remain calm to ensure hospital services can provide first aid to the injured.”
According to Avenirguinee, a Guinean site, the abrupt use of tear gas by local police triggered widespread panic, resulting in the fatal stampede.
A coalition of political parties in Guinea, the National Alliance for Alternation and Democracy coalition, called for an investigation and alleged that the football tournament was organised to drum up support for the “illegal and inappropriate” political ambition of the country’s military leader.
According to witnesses, angry demonstrators also vandalised the Nzerekore police station and set it on fire.
Guinea has a history of stadium violence, including the 2009 Conakry massacre, where 156 people were killed. In July this year, a court in Conakry found former president Moussa Dadis Camara and several other military leaders guilty of crimes against humanity while four other men were acquitted.
The court ordered those convicted to provide reparations to the victims and their families.
“After nearly 15 years, the victims, survivors and their families have the right to full justice and transparency,” UN rights chief Volker Turk said at the time. “It is necessary to continue the path that Guinea has already started towards an end to impunity and ensuring that all those responsible for human rights violations are brought to justice,” he added.
In January, six people lost their lives in Guinea while celebrating the national football team’s 1-0 victory over Gambia at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Nzerekore, home to approximately 200,000 people, lies around 555 miles southeast of the capital Conakry.
