Stampede in football stadium: at least nine dead in El Salvador

In addition, around 100 people were taken to various hospitals in serious condition, said the director of civil protection in the Central American country, Luis Alonso Amaya. The police had previously announced that at least nine people died in the panic at the Cuscatlán stadium in the capital, San Salvador.

The El Salvador newspaper La Prensa Gráfica described the scrum on the sidelines of the first division game between FC Alianza and CD FAS as a “human avalanche”. In order to facilitate the work of the rescue workers, the game was canceled.

According to initial information from the police, the panic broke out when fans tried to get into the stadium. Civil Defense Director Amaya said: “It all started in Sol General sector, where there was a stampede due to oversold tickets, affecting 500 people.”