ReutersAt least 56 people have died following clashes at a football match in Guinea’s second largest city, Nzérékoré, the government said.
An investigation is being launched to find those responsible, Prime Minister Oury Bah said in a statement, calling the events “horrible” and offering condolences to the bereaved.
Another doctor, who did not want to be named, told AFP that there were bodies lined up as far as the eye could see in the hospital.
“Some are lying on the floor in the corridors. They are very cold,” he added.
Local media said the police used tear gas after fans of the visiting team, Labé, threw stones towards the field in anger at the referee.
“It all started with the contested decision of the referee. The fans stormed the field,” one of the witnesses told AFP.
Videos and photos on social media appear to show chaos outside the stadium, with large crowds trying to climb walls and bodies on the ground.
Some of those lying on the ground unresponsive appear to be children.
The BBC could not independently screen these videos.
Paul Sakouvogi, a local journalist in Nzérékoré, told the BBC that internet access in the region was restricted, and that police were guarding the hospital entrance where the wounded were being treated.
“I saw six police officers stationed in front of the three doors of the hospital. They only allowed health workers to enter the hospital, others were told to go back the way they came.”
Prime Minister Bah paid tribute to the many dead and promised full medical and psychological support to all the injured.
Thousands of spectators were present when the massacre took place in the match between Nzérékoré and Labé, local news website MediaGuinée reported.
It said Sunday’s match was part of a tournament to honor President Mamady Doumbouya, who took over in a coup d’état in September 2021.
In recent months, increased attention has been paid to the powerhouses in Guinean football.
In July, Aboubacar Sampil, who is the president of the national football association Feguifoot, was investigated for corruption and violence in football.
The junior partner accused Mr. Sampil, who also heads the board of directors of local club ASK, of inciting violence and trying to influence the referees in a match in which ASK lost 0-1 to Milo FC.
The latter team had to leave the game and had trouble leaving the ground safely, according to documents filed with Feguifoot’s ethics committee.
Among other things, Mr Sampil has also been accused of violating the protocol and appointing people to jobs illegally.
He has always denied any wrongdoing.
Additional reporting by Armand Mouko
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