Guinea: Scores Killed In Stadium Stapede

HRW
Scenes from a previous violence in Nzérékoré (file photo).
2 December 2024
allAfrica.com
By Boakai Fofana

Monrovia — More than 50 were killed in a stampede at a football stadium in Guinea's second-largest city of Nzerekore, according to the BBC. The provisional number of fatalities stating dozens had died was updated as local hospitals report being overwhelmed.

The deaths happened on Sunday, December 1, 2024, when the referee of a soccer match, which was played in honor of the country's military leader Mamadou Doumbouya, made a contentious decision that triggered violence, including stone-throwing between rival fans, Reuters reports. Children are also said to have been crushed in the ensuing melee.

The government announced an investigation, and officials reportedly described the deaths as "tragic" in a statement.

Eyewitnesses reported seeing dozens of injured people, as well as the dead "littering" health centers across the city. Opposition leaders blamed the government for the deaths, saying the match was organized to garner political capital for the country's military leader.

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