A number of people died in a stampede at a stadium following fan clashes at a soccer matchon Sunday in the city of Nzerekore, southeast Guinea, the prime minister said, while an opposition group cited reports of dozens killed.
Videos and pictures shared online showed victims lined up on the ground. In one video, over a dozen inert bodies could be counted and several of them were children.
Reuters has not authenticated the videos or confirmed a death toll.
Unverified images also showed fans scrambling over the walls of the stadium.
“The government deplores the incidents that marred the football match between the Labe and Nzerekore teams this afternoon in Nzerekore. During the stampede, victims were recorded,” Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah said in a statement.
He said local authorities were working to restore order.
An opposition group said dozens of people were killed in the crush, adding that a final death toll had not yet been determined.
Local media reported that the stampede happened after a fight broke out among spectators during the match on Sunday afternoon following a disputed decision by the referee.
“The violence quickly escalated, and scenes of panic invaded the stadium, while police used tear gas,” local media outlet Guinee Panorama reported.
Opposition group National Alliance for Change and Democracy said the authorities bore “significant responsibility for these grave events”.
The match was the final of a tournament in honour of Guinea’s military leader Mamady Doumbouya.
(Reuters)