On Friday, 17 football fans lost their lives and 56 severely injured themselves in a tragic stampede at a stadium in northern Angola. The incident was witnessed at a match in the town of Uige between Santa Rita de Cassia and Recreativo de Libolo in Angola’s domestic league season. A number of children also were injured in the mishap. As a huge number of fans tried to enter the stadium which was already packed with people; many got crushed and were pushed to the ground to the ground causing death due to suffocation or injuries.
“There was a blockage at the entrance to the January 4 stadium… this obstruction caused multiple fatalities — 17 deaths, and there are 56 injured in the hospital,” police spokesman Orlando Bernardo as per AFP reports.
“While the players were on the field, outside fans were trying to get into the stadium and a gate probably gave way to the pressure of the crowd causing several people to fall who were literally trampled on by the crowd,” said the Recreativo de Libolo club in a statement as per Indian Express reports.
“There are already 17 confirmed dead and at least 59 wounded… (this was) a tragedy without precedent in the history of Angolan football.” added some witnesses.
