Saliu Samb and Beit Felix
CONAKRY (Reuters) – A controversial refereeing decision sparked violence and a stampede at a soccer match in southeastern Guinea, leaving 56 people dead, the government said on Monday.
The deaths occurred during the finals of a tournament in honor of Guinean military leader Mamadi Doumboui at a stadium in Nzerekare, one of the country’s largest cities.
Some fans threw stones, causing panic and stampedes, the government said in a statement, promising an investigation.
In the video, which has been confirmed by Reuters, dozens of people can be seen climbing over high walls to escape.
A city administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said many of the victims were minors who were caught up in the riots after police fired tear gas. The official described scenes of confusion and chaos as some parents retrieved the bodies before they were officially counted.
Videos and photos posted online show victims lined up on the ground. One video showed more than a dozen inert bodies, several of them children.
Reuters was not immediately able to verify the footage.
The opposition group National Alliance for Change and Democracy said the authorities were responsible for organizing the tournaments to shore up political support for Dumbua in violation of the transitional charter ahead of promised presidential elections.
There was no immediate response from the military junta to the accusation.
(Additional reporting and writing by Hervard Holland and Alessandra Prentice Editing by Ed Osmond and Andrew Cawthorne)
