In a devastating incident at a football match in Guinea's second-largest city, N'zérékoré, a stampede has claimed the lives of numerous spectators, igniting fears over crowd safety and the need for urgent reforms in event management.
Tragedy Strikes Guinea: Deadly Stampede at Football Match
Tragedy Strikes Guinea: Deadly Stampede at Football Match
Dozens lose their lives in a crush during a chaotic football match in N'zérékoré, raising concerns over crowd control and security measures.
Reports indicate that a stampede occurred following clashes during a local football match on Sunday, leading to several fatalities. According to local media, Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah confirmed the tragic events, stating that a significant number of victims resulted from the unfortunate stampede. Various sources, including an unnamed doctor, described the situation at the local hospital where bodies were reportedly "lined up," overwhelming the morgue's capacity.
Tensions escalated when fans of the visiting team, Labé, reacted violently after a controversial decision by the referee, throwing stones onto the pitch. Eyewitnesses recounted chaos erupting as supporters spilled onto the field, creating a desperate struggle to escape. Visual evidence circulating on social media depicted horrific scenes of panicked crowds attempting to climb over barriers and numerous casualties sprawled on the ground, though these images remain unverified by independent sources.
In response to the violence, Prime Minister Bah called for calm and announced that regional authorities were working to restore order. Hospitals are reportedly inundated with casualties from the match, which drew thousands of spectators and took place amid a tournament honoring President Mamadi Doumbouya, who came to power after a coup in September 2021.
This tragic event echoes a darker chapter in Guinea's history, harking back to a 2009 massacre in which 156 people died at a stadium during a violent government crackdown on an opposition rally. Former military leader Moussa Dadis Camara was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in those horrific events, underscoring the need for accountability and improvements in crowd management to prevent such tragedies from reoccurring.
