The Prague Post - Eight dead in Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon stadium crush

EUR -
AED 4.189602
AFN 81.560006
ALL 99.353919
AMD 445.224794
ANG 2.055756
AOA 1046.537798
ARS 1327.340457
AUD 1.779739
AWG 2.053144
AZN 1.943609
BAM 1.964386
BBD 2.302997
BDT 138.581814
BGN 1.962225
BHD 0.429887
BIF 3344.34388
BMD 1.140636
BND 1.499181
BOB 7.881554
BRL 6.490678
BSD 1.140601
BTN 97.364861
BWP 15.721927
BYN 3.732434
BYR 22356.459768
BZD 2.291145
CAD 1.583944
CDF 3281.609329
CHF 0.944604
CLF 0.02779
CLP 1066.437801
CNY 8.312616
CNH 8.313905
COP 4816.84754
CRC 577.331098
CUC 1.140636
CUP 30.226846
CVE 110.988296
CZK 25.06901
DJF 202.714226
DKK 7.493069
DOP 67.354986
DZD 151.009947
EGP 57.875053
ERN 17.109536
ETB 149.541759
FJD 2.575499
FKP 0.857377
GBP 0.856783
GEL 3.125787
GGP 0.857377
GHS 17.463578
GIP 0.857377
GMD 82.126176
GNF 9872.20241
GTQ 8.784513
GYD 238.628271
HKD 8.850364
HNL 29.432779
HRK 7.562762
HTG 148.937533
HUF 407.150356
IDR 19167.242344
ILS 4.133698
IMP 0.857377
INR 97.393009
IQD 1494.23277
IRR 48020.763476
ISK 145.830715
JEP 0.857377
JMD 180.509002
JOD 0.808829
JPY 163.88088
KES 147.716659
KGS 99.749031
KHR 4580.793381
KMF 493.329269
KPW 1026.535763
KRW 1640.656613
KWD 0.34989
KYD 0.950467
KZT 587.314868
LAK 24666.247464
LBP 102056.350249
LKR 341.767381
LRD 228.12011
LSL 21.301416
LTL 3.368001
LVL 0.68996
LYD 6.233619
MAD 10.556628
MDL 19.686307
MGA 5147.122891
MKD 61.712769
MMK 2394.758567
MNT 4046.626623
MOP 9.112952
MRU 45.146793
MUR 51.705448
MVR 17.577628
MWK 1977.788233
MXN 22.246332
MYR 4.989185
MZN 73.001078
NAD 21.307505
NGN 1834.963897
NIO 41.97402
NOK 11.905276
NPR 155.781235
NZD 1.911894
OMR 0.438634
PAB 1.140601
PEN 4.185567
PGK 4.62304
PHP 64.098067
PKR 320.462028
PLN 4.287935
PYG 9123.518833
QAR 4.153098
RON 4.998954
RSD 117.985019
RUB 93.836944
RWF 1615.140155
SAR 4.278454
SBD 9.529227
SCR 16.196656
SDG 684.955932
SEK 11.046035
SGD 1.498914
SHP 0.896361
SLE 25.896613
SLL 23918.541841
SOS 651.877481
SRD 42.067829
STD 23608.856107
SVC 9.979225
SYP 14830.325119
SZL 21.307496
THB 38.223123
TJS 12.067511
TMT 4.003631
TND 3.417388
TOP 2.671487
TRY 43.825281
TTD 7.747968
TWD 37.128876
TZS 3068.310422
UAH 47.700133
UGX 4181.110623
USD 1.140636
UYU 47.616671
UZS 14771.232728
VES 95.028551
VND 29681.051932
VUV 138.467195
WST 3.173044
XAF 658.85127
XAG 0.034473
XAU 0.000344
XCD 3.082625
XDR 0.820068
XOF 656.439948
XPF 119.331742
YER 279.573907
ZAR 21.316822
ZMK 10267.094176
ZMW 31.850638
ZWL 367.284231
  • RBGPF

    60.8800

    60.88

    +100%

  • JRI

    0.1400

    12.74

    +1.1%

  • NGG

    -0.2200

    72.04

    -0.31%

  • RELX

    0.3800

    53.55

    +0.71%

  • BCE

    -0.3600

    21.65

    -1.66%

  • BCC

    -0.5800

    95.51

    -0.61%

  • CMSC

    0.0000

    22.33

    -0%

  • GSK

    -0.0700

    37.43

    -0.19%

  • SCS

    -0.0600

    9.89

    -0.61%

  • RYCEF

    0.0100

    10.16

    +0.1%

  • VOD

    0.0400

    9.35

    +0.43%

  • CMSD

    0.0100

    22.46

    +0.04%

  • AZN

    0.0200

    69.57

    +0.03%

  • RIO

    -1.1300

    60.56

    -1.87%

  • BTI

    -0.4000

    42.05

    -0.95%

  • BP

    0.1900

    29.19

    +0.65%

Eight dead in Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon stadium crush
Eight dead in Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon stadium crush

Eight dead in Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon stadium crush

Eight people were killed and dozens more injured in a crush outside a Cameroonian football stadium ahead of an Africa Cup of Nations match, officials said Tuesday.

Text size:

Cameroonian President Paul Biya ordered an investigation into the tragedy that occurred Monday as crowds attempted to enter the Olembe Stadium in the capital Yaounde to watch the host nation play the Comoros.

Although crowds at the 60,000-seat stadium had been limited to 60 percent of capacity for the tournament because of the coronavirus pandemic, the cap is raised to 80 percent when Cameroon's Indomitable Lions play.

"Eight deaths were recorded, two women in their 30s, four men in their 30s, one child, one body taken away by the family," said a preliminary health ministry report obtained by AFP.

The ministry said victims were "immediately transported" in ambulances, but "heavy road traffic slowed down the transport".

Communications Minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi said 38 people were injured, including seven seriously, according to a statement.

The health ministry reported earlier that around 50 were hurt, including two people with multiple injuries and two more with serious head wounds.

A baby was also reportedly trampled by the crowd, the ministry added. The infant was "immediately extracted and taken to Yaounde General Hospital" and is in a "medically stable" condition, it added.

The tragedy happened at gates where final ticket checks are supposed to take place.

One man in his 30s who was caught up in the crush told AFP that it was "complete chaos" at the entrance to the stadium as supporters without tickets tried to force their way in.

"I arrived a quarter of an hour before kick-off. I had my ticket, but all of a sudden a group of people without tickets arrived and tried to force their way through and we found ourselves pushed up against the fences," said the supporter, who gave his name as Stephane.

"I was crushed up against a woman who said she couldn't breathe. Eventually the gate gave in and I was able to get through, but it was complete chaos."

- 'Crisis meeting' -

President Biya has "ordered the opening of an investigation so that all light is shed on this tragic incident," the communications minister said.

The Confederation of African Football (CAF), which runs the continent's flagship competition, said it was "investigating the situation and trying to get more details on what transpired".

It added it was in "constant communication with Cameroon government and the Local Organizing Committee".

Cameroon's health minister Manaouda Malachie tweeted images showing him visiting a hospital treating those injured in the incident.

"Everything is done to give them free care and the best support," he tweeted.

CAF was due to hold a "crisis meeting" with the organising committee on Tuesday, dedicated exclusively to security issues in the stadiums, a source close to African football's governing body told AFP.

- Deadly crowding -

The government, Sadi said, is "once more appealing to Cameroonians' sense of responsibility, discipline and civic duty for the total success of this great sporting event."

Cameroon was initially meant to host the Cup of Nations in 2019, but the event was moved to Egypt over concerns the country's stadiums were not ready.

CAF cited delays in the construction of stadiums and infrastructure projects, as well as question marks over security.

Overcrowding at football matches around the world has resulted in scores of deaths.

Thousands of fans in the Egyptian capital Cairo in 2015 attempted to enter a stadium to watch a game, triggering panic as police fired tear gas and birdshot, resulting in 19 dead.

In April 2001, 43 people died in a stampede at Johannesburg's Ellis Park stadium during a game between Orlando Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs.

In chaotic scenes at last year's European Championship final between England and Italy in London, some 2,000 ticketless fans were found to have gained access to Wembley Stadium, with an independent review later finding that a tragedy was only narrowly averted.

On the pitch on Monday, Cameroon sealed their place in the last eight of the tournament with a 2-1 win and will now play Gambia in the quarter-finals.

That match is due to be played on Saturday in Cameroon's economic capital Douala, although there had been speculation that remaining matches scheduled to be played there could be moved to Yaounde due to concerns about the state of the pitch.

U.Ptacek--TPP