12 killed in El Salvador stadium stampede
Tragedy blamed on collapse of gate that caused football fans to crowd together
Twelve people were killed in a stampede at a stadium in El Salvador where football fans were watching a match.
Authorities said initial reports pointed to a crush of fans who tried to enter Cuscatlan Stadium in the Central American country’s capital San Salvador to watch a match on Saturday between Alianza and FAS. The game was suspended as emergency personnel evacuated the stadium, where police and soldiers gathered as ambulance sirens wailed.
“Preliminarily, we have a negative result of 12 victims, nine who are here in the stadium and three more that we have been informed are in different hospital centres,” National Civil Police (PNC) director Mauricio Arriaza said. “Salvadoran soccer is in mourning.”
Health Minister Francisco Alabi said the country’s hospital network was “providing medical care to all patients.”
Carlos Fuentes, spokesman for the emergency services group Comandos de Salvamento, said they were treating more than 500 people. About 100 people in serious condition were taken to hospital, with some showing signs of asphyxia and other types of trauma, Fuentes said.
The stampede apparently started after a stadium gate fell, causing people to crowd together, he said.
El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele said the PNC and the Attorney General’s Office would investigate the incident and those responsible would be punished.
“Everyone will be investigated: teams, managers, stadium, box office, league, federation,” Bukele said on Twitter. He warned that “whoever the culprits are, they will not go unpunished”.
The Salvadoran Football Federation (Fesfut) said it “deeply regrets” the events that occurred at the stadium and “expresses its solidarity” with the families of those “affected and killed.”
“Fesfut will immediately request a report of what happened and will communicate the relevant information as soon as possible,” it said.
The tragedy comes seven months after 135 people were killed in a stampede after a football match in Malang, Indonesia.
Police had tried to fend off fans with tear gas and many panic-stricken victims were crushed or suffocated while trying to use closed or narrow exit doors.
A police officer and two match officials were jailed for 12 to 18 months over the disaster.