football
- The incident happened at the Cuscatlán Stadium in San Salvador
- President Nayib Bukele promises “thorough investigation”
Sun 21 May 2023 12.01 BST
According to the government of the Central American country, at least twelve people died and more than 100 were injured in a crowd in a football stadium in El Salvador on Saturday.
Alianza FC and Club Deportivo Fas were playing the second leg of their quarter-final playoff game at Cuscatlán Stadium in San Salvador, the country’s capital, when play was stopped after 16 minutes.
“The Salvadoran Football Federation deeply regrets the events at Cuscatlán Stadium,” the country’s football federation wrote on Twitter. “It also expresses our solidarity with the families of those affected and who died in this incident.”
The federation added that it would immediately request a report on the incident while suspending the tournament following Saturday’s events, and called for a meeting with the National Safety Commission for Sports Venues on Sunday.
Cuscatlan Stadium is one of the largest stadiums in Central America and has an official capacity of more than 44,000 fans. Recordings published on the Internet showed severe overcrowding in front of an entrance gate. Officials said they were investigating reports of counterfeit playing cards being sold.
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said the National Civil Police and the Attorney General’s Office were conducting a “thorough investigation” into what happened at the stadium. “Everyone is examined: teams, managers, stadium, box office, league, association, etc.,” Bukele wrote on Twitter. “Whoever the perpetrators are, they will not go unpunished.”
Paramedics in front of the stadium in San Salvador. Photo: Jose Cabezas/Portal
Officials added that about 500 people received medical treatment at the stadium and about 100 of them were transferred to nearby hospitals. The country’s health minister, Francisco Alabi, said most of the injured were in stable condition and there were no reports of deaths from hospitals.
Spanish clubs Real Madrid and Atlético both posted messages on Twitter after news of the tragedy broke. “Real Madrid would like to express their condolences and affection to the families of the fans who died at Cuscatlán Stadium in El Salvador and wish those affected by this tragedy a speedy recovery.”
“We regret the enormous tragedy that took place at Cuscatlán Stadium in El Salvador and offer our deepest condolences to the families and friends of the victims,” wrote Atlético Madrid. “Rest in peace.”
Last October, a deadly crowd killed 135 spectators at Kanjuruhan Stadium in East Java, Indonesia. Many were crushed as they fled to exits after police fired tear gas into the crowd during the match between Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya.
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