By Victor Kanayo
Reports from Guinea suggest that nearly 100 people are feared dead after a stampede which reared up from a football match following a controversial refereeing decision that sparked violence.
The incident happened at a soccer match during the final of a tournament in honour of Guinea’s military leader Mamady Doumbouya at a stadium in Nzerekore, one of the nation’s largest cities within southeast Guinea, government sources said.
Confirming the incident, Guinea Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah said some fans threw stones, triggering panic and a crush.
Bah in a statement via Facebook said, “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.”
He said local authorities are working to restore order.
Trending videos and pictures seen by Heritage Times HT show victims lined up on the ground with over a dozen lifeless bodies counted and fans climbing over the stadium walls.
