Several people were crushed to death in a stampede at a stadium following fan clashes during a football match on Sunday in the city of Nzerekore, southeast Guinea, said the prime minister, 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.
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,” said Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah, in a statement.
He said local authorities were working to restore order.
Meanwhile, an opposition group said dozens of people were killed in the crash, adding that a final death toll had not yet been determined.
Local media reported that the stampede occurred 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,” one of the country’s media outlets, 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 honor of Guinea’s military leader Mamady Doumbouya.
