At least eight people were killed and dozens were injured after a human avalanche outside an African Cup of Nations soccer match in Cameroon.
Video footage showed fans trying to get into the Paul Biya stadium in a neighborhood of the capital Yaoundé.
There is a minor among the dead, according to a report from the Ministry of Health obtained by the AFP news agency.
Another report said several children were left unconscious.
The stadium has a capacity of 60,000 people, but due to covid restrictions, it was not expected to be more than 80% full.
Some officials said as many as 50,000 people tried to attend .
Journalist Leocadia Bongben was at the match. He told the BBC ‘s Newsday program that he saw disturbances coming from one of the “fan zones” outside the stadium.
“People started screaming. A minute after that, an ambulance arrived at the stadium, but when we got there the police wouldn’t let us go near where the stampede was,” he said.
Six people are reported to have been killed and dozens hurt in a crush outside a stadium hosting an Africa Cup of Nations match in Cameroon.
Video footage showed football fans struggling to get access to the Paul Biya stadium in a neighbourhood of the capital Yaounde. pic.twitter.com/a6WLbFZORj
— Charles Ayitey (@CharlesAyitey_) January 24, 2022
“It’s a really sad situation that people go to a game and end up dying there.”
Nick Cavell, a producer for BBC Africa, was at the match and said news of the stampede didn’t seem to trickle down to those in attendance until there were reports on social media.
There were a lot of shoes and debris scattered near the stadium entrance, he said.
Nurse Olinga Prudence told the AP that some of the injured were in “desperate condition.”
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) said in a statement that it was “investigating the situation and trying to get more details about what happened.”
The round of 16 match between Cameroon and Comoros went on despite the incident and ended with a 2-1 win for the hosts.