A stampede at a football stadium in El Salvador left 12 people dead and an unspecified number injured, the country’s government confirmed… after a playoff quarter-final game turned into chaos
- At least 12 people have died after a stampede at a football match in the country
- Alianza FC and Club Deportivo FAS play in their playoff quarter-final
- Play was suspended when a stampede broke out in the general section
At least 12 people were killed and an unspecified number were injured in a stampede at a soccer stadium in El Salvador on Saturday, the government of the Central American country said.
Alianza FC and Club Deportivo FAS were playing in the second leg of their playoff quarter-final game at the Cuscatlan stadium in San Salvador, the country’s capital, when the game was suspended after a stampede in the general section.
The venue is one of the largest stadiums in Central America and has an official capacity of more than 44,000 fans.
‘The Salvadoran Football Federation deeply regrets the events that took place at the Cuscatlan Stadium,’ the organization wrote on Twitter.
‘It also expresses solidarity with the relatives of those who were affected and died in this incident.’
A stampede at a football match in El Salvador has left at least 12 people dead, the country’s government has confirmed
An unconfirmed number of people are said to have sustained injuries from the incident
The federation added that they immediately requested a report on the incident while also suspending the tournament after Saturday’s events, calling for a meeting with the Security Commission of Sports Venues on Sunday.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said the National Civil Police and the Attorney General’s Office would conduct a ‘thorough investigation’ into the events at the stadium.
‘Everything will be investigated: teams, managers, stadiums, box offices, leagues, federations, etc. Whoever the culprits are, they will not be punished,’ Bukele wrote on Twitter.
The incident follows a deadly stampede last year that killed 135 spectators at a stadium in Indonesia’s East Java in October. Many were crushed as they fled for the exit after the police fired tear gas into the crowd.
