Dozens killed in crowd crush at Guinea soccer match

By: CNN

Posted: Dec 2, 2024 12:35 PM EST

CNN

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A crowd crush at a soccer match in the west African country of Guinea has left at least 56 people dead and many others injured, authorities said Monday.

Information minister Fana Soumah said in a statement that investigations were underway into the cause of the crush at a stadium in the southern city of Nzerekore.

Social media videos showed fans scrambling to get out of the packed stadium.

“The government deplores the incidents that marred the football match between the Labé and Nzérékoré teams this afternoon in Nzérékoré,” Prime Minister Bah Oury said earlier in a statement.

“The government is monitoring the development of the situation and reiterates its call for calm so that hospital services are not hindered in providing first aid to the injured,” Oury said, with city authorities ordered to restore “social tranquality.”

Oury’s statement did not give an account of what happened inside the stadium, but he said a more detailed report would follow.

Video geolocated by CNN showed fans scaling a wall as they tried to flee the stadium in Nzérékoré in southeastern Guinea.

Mediaguinee said clashes between fans and security began over a series of refereeing decisions followed by a stampede as crowds tried to escape the stadium.

CNN has not been able to verify those reports.

Witnesses told Reuters that the chaos started after the referee officiating the game sent off a player in the dying minutes, sparking outrage and stone-pelting from angry fans.

“The stone-throwing started and the police joined in, firing tear gas. In the rush and scramble that followed, I saw people fall to the ground, girls and children trampled underfoot. It was horrible,” Amara Conde, who was at the stadium, told the news agency.

Deposed former leader Alpha Conde criticized organizers for holding the match at a time when “the country is already marked by tensions and restrictions.”

Conde, who was ousted by junta leader Mamady Doumbouya in a 2021 coup, added that “while severe restrictions are maintained on events and rallies, including sports-related ones, it is imperative that we examine how this event was planned and executed.”

Local media outlet Avenirguinee reported that the match was part of a tournament organized by Guinea’s ruling military junta to support Doumbouya’s candidacy.

After seizing power, Doumbouya installed himself as president, and is eyeing a potential presidential run in elections expected to be held in 2025.

Doumbouya is one of several figures who have seized power in the volatile region since 2020.

West and Central Africa have seen at least eight successful coups since 2020, as political upheavals exacerbate concerns of a slide towards military rule in a resource-rich but poverty-stricken region.