At least six people were killed in a stampede near the stadium, which hosted the game of Africa’s main football tournament in Cameroon on Monday, January 24, the Associated Press reported.
There could be more deaths, according to Naseri Paul Biya, governor of the central region of Cameroon.
The stampede occurred as crowds of people tried to get into the Olembe stadium in the capital Yaoundé to watch the Cameroon team play Comoros in the final match of the 16th round of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Representatives of a nearby hospital said that they received about 40 people with injuries, who were brought by the police and sympathizers.
“Some of the wounded are in a deplorable state. We will have to transport them to a specialized hospital,” the hospital nurse said.
Witnesses said people were seen lying motionless on their backs near the entrance to the stadium after the stampede. Many saw among those who got into a stampede, children. According to them, the unrest began when the stadium staff closed the gates and stopped letting people in.
About 50 thousand people were expected at the match. The stadium has a capacity of 60 thousand people, while its occupancy should not exceed 80% due to pandemic restrictions.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF), which hosts the African Cup, said it was aware of the incident.
“CAF is currently investigating the situation and trying to get more details about what happened. We are in constant contact with the government of Cameroon and the local Organizing Committee,” the confederation said in a statement.
Cameroon hosted the African Cup for the first time in 50 years. The Central African nation was supposed to host the tournament in 2019, but that same year the event was canceled and handed over to Egypt due to major problems with Cameroon’s preparations, especially its stadiums.
Olembe Stadium is the main stadium of the tournament and will host three more games, including the final on 6 February. Cameroon won the match on January 24 with a score of 2:1 and reached the quarter-finals of the Cup.
Another major event where people died in a stampede was the Astroworld Festival held on November 5, 2021. As a result of the stampede, eight people, including minors, died and several were injured. The two-day festival brought together about 50 thousand people at its site. The second day of the event has been cancelled.
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Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
