At Least 12 Dead, More Than 100 Injured in Stampede at Soccer Stadium in El Salvador
The match was between Alianza and FAS in the stadium about 25 miles northeast of the capital
At least 12 people were killed and more than a hundred hospitalized on Saturday after fans pushed through a stadium access gate at a quarterfinal match in the Salvadoran league, causing a stampede, according to multiple reports and authorities.
An estimated 100 people were transported to medical centers, some in serious condition, from Cuscatlán Stadium, the National Civil Police reported, according to the Associated Press. The match was between Alianza and FAS in the stadium about 25 miles northeast of the capital.
In a portion of a press conference posted to Twitter by authorities, National Civil Police General Commissioner Mauricio Arriaza Chicas said via Twitter translation, "We are investigating, from the sale of the ticket office, the income of any access, but especially in the southern zone."
President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele said via a translated tweet, "The [National Police] and the [Office of the Prosecutor General of the Republic of El Salvador] will carry out an exhaustive investigation of the events that occurred in the Cuscatlán Stadium. Everyone will be investigated: teams, managers, stadium, ticket office, league, federation, etc. Whoever the culprits are, they will not go unpunished."
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CNN reported, citing the director of the National Civil Protection System of El Salvador, Luis Alonso Amaya, that "a human stampede broke out due to the overselling of tickets, which has left 500 people affected."
The Central American Football Union released a statement on Sunday, saying the organization was "shocked and saddened" by what happened at the Stadium.
"Our prayers and affection go to all the families, friends and all the people who were affected by the irreparable loss of their loved ones," the statement read, via Google translation. "The safety of all the people who attend the matches is of the utmost importance in order to guarantee the spectacle and their peace of mind."
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The statement concluded, "The Central American Union will collaborate with the entities in charge to guarantee that security is maintained so that it continues to be a show and thus avoid any accident that harms people."
The Salvadoran Soccer Federation said matches were suspended for Sunday and officials scheduled a meeting to address the deadly crush, according to the AP.
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