Guinea: Dozens of people died after being trampled at a soccer match

Dozens of people were killed in a stampede after a clash at a soccer match in N’zérékoré, Guinea’s second largest city, local media reported.

Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah said the stampede at Sunday’s event left several victims dead and called for calm.

An anonymous doctor told AFP news agency that there were several bodies “lining up” at the local hospital and the morgue was full.

Local media said police used tear gas after supporters of away team Labé threw rocks onto the field to show anger at the referee.

No official casualty figures have been released at this time.

A witness told AFP: “It all started with a controversial decision by the referee. After that, fans flooded the field.”

Videos and photos on social media appeared to show chaotic scenes outside the stadium, with crowds trying to climb over walls and countless bodies on the ground.

The BBC has not been able to independently verify these videos.

Prime Minister Bah said in a statement that the regional government was working to “restore calm” and added that hospitals were assisting the injured.

Local news website MediaGuinee reported that thousands of spectators were present when the collision occurred during the match between Guinean team N’zérékoré and Labé.

It said Sunday’s match was part of a tournament honoring President Mamadi Doumboya, who took power in a coup in September 2021.

One of the worst massacres in Guinea’s history also took place at a stadium.

In 2009, 156 people died after the army opened fire on an opposition protest at a stadium in the capital Conakry.

Many people were shot, stabbed, beaten or trampled in the stampede as security forces fired tear gas and stormed the stadium. Many women were also raped.

Former military leader Moussa Dadis Camara has just been sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity related to the massacre.