6 reported killed in stampede at African Cup soccer game

An official in Cameroon says at least six people have died in a stampede outside a stadium hosting an African Cup of Nations soccer game

Cameroon African Cup Soccer (Copyright 2022 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

At least six people have died in a stampede outside a stadium hosting an African Cup of Nations soccer game in Cameroon, an official said Monday.

Naseri Paul Biya, governor of the central region of Cameroon, said there could be more casualties.

The stampede happened as crowds struggled to get access to Olembe Stadium in the Cameroon capital of Yaounde to watch the host country play Comoros in a last 16 knockout game in Africa's top soccer tournament.

Officials at the nearby Messassi hospital said they had received at least 40 injured people from the stampede.

“Some of the injured are in desperate condition," said Olinga Prudence, a nurse. “We will have to evacuate them to a specialized hospital.”

Soccer officials said around 50,000 people had tried to attend the match. The stadium has a capacity of 60,000 but it was not meant to be more than 80% full for the game due to restrictions on the size of the crowd because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cameroon won the game 2-1 to reach the quarterfinals.