A stampede outside a stadium in the southern Iraqi city of Basra killed at least two people and injured dozens Thursday.
The Iraqi News Agency said one person was killed and 60 people were injured outside the Basra International Stadium. Some of them are in critical condition.
A doctor at Basra General Hospital told The Associated Press that two people were killed and 38 were injured, some of whom have been discharged from the hospital.
The deadly incident happened as spectators gathered to attend the final match in the first international soccer tournament held in the country in four decades.
The final match in the eight-nation Arabian Gulf Cup is scheduled to be held later Thursday between Iraq and Oman.
But the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation is considering postponing the final match or moving it to another country if the security situation does not improve, Basra governor Asaad Abdel Amir told Reuters.
The tournament started on Jan. 6, with teams from the six Gulf Cooperation Council countries — Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates — as well as Yemen and Iraq. It’s the first time since 1979 that Iraq has hosted the tournament.
