4 June 2007
POLICE have established that only one gate was opened at the open wing side of Konkola stadium resulting in the stampede that left 12 soccer fans dead and several others injured after an Africa Cup qualifying football match between Zambia and Congo Brazzaville late on Saturday in Chililabombwe.
Copperbelt police chief, Antoneil Mutentwa, said the tragedy was made worse by the absence of floodlights at the stadium.
The match, which started late as it was delayed for an hour because of the Sudanese referee's late arrival in Zambia, ended at dusk when visibility was becoming poor.
Mr Mutentwa said 46 soccer fans were injured and admitted in Konkola Mine Hospital. However, all but one had been discharged by yesterday while the death toll had mercifully remained at 12.
Those with minor injuries were treated and later discharged on the same day of the stampede.
Sources who witnessed what transpired said the gate at the open wing was unhinged by the surging mob that was rushing to get out of the stadium after the match ended.
The gate fell on some people who were on the other side, which resulted in their being trampled to death and left others injured during the melee.
The late ending of the match worked up most fans that had used public transport to get to the stadium in a frenzy to catch rides back to their hometowns.
The stadium, that was filled to almost beyond its capacity, was mostly filled with fans from outlying towns on the Copperbelt and Lusaka.
The road from Chililabombwe was swamped with vehicles that were moving at a bumper-to-bumper pace up to Kitwe.
Mr Mutentwa said despite the overwhelming number of vehicles, road traffic officers ensured that no fatal road traffic accidents occurred after the match.
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