Dozens of people have reportedly died in a stampede following violent clashes at a football match in Guinea’s second-largest city, N’zérékoré, according to local media.
Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah confirmed that the stampede occurred during the event on Sunday, resulting in numerous casualties, and urged the public to remain calm.
A doctor, speaking anonymously, told AFP that several bodies were “lined up” at the local hospital, and the morgue was overwhelmed.
Local media reports indicate that police used tear gas after supporters of the visiting team, Labé, threw stones onto the pitch in protest at the referee’s decisions.
As of now, no official figures on the number of casualties have been released.
“It all started with a contested decision by the referee. Then fans invaded the pitch,” one witness told AFP.
Videos and images shared on social media appear to show chaotic scenes outside the stadium, with large crowds attempting to scale walls and numerous bodies lying on the ground.
The BBC has not been able to independently verify the authenticity of these videos.
Prime Minister Bah stated that regional authorities are working to “restore calm” and that hospitals are providing assistance to the injured.
According to local news website MediaGuinee, thousands of spectators were present when the stampede occurred during a match between Guinean teams N’zérékoré and Labé.
The match, held on Sunday, was part of a tournament in honor of President Mamadi Doumbouya, who came to power in a coup in September 2021.
Guinea has previously witnessed one of its worst tragedies at a stadium. In 2009, 156 people were killed when troops opened fire on an opposition rally at a stadium in the capital, Conakry.
Many were shot, stabbed, beaten, or crushed in the stampede, and security forces fired tear gas and charged into the stadium. Numerous women were also raped.
Former military leader Moussa Dadis Camara was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison for crimes against humanity related to the massacre.