Tragic Football Stampede in Guinea Claims At Least 56 Lives
At least 56 people lost their lives in a tragic stampede during a football match in N’Zérékoré, Guinea’s second-largest city, according to a statement from the government on Monday.
The incident occurred on Sunday after protests erupted over controversial refereeing decisions. Fans began throwing stones, sparking chaos and “fatal stampedes,” the junta-controlled government said in a statement aired on national television. The government noted that hospital services reported a provisional death toll of 56.
Eyewitnesses and local medical staff described scenes of devastation at the hospital. One doctor, speaking anonymously, said, “There are bodies lined up as far as the eye can see in the hospital. Others are lying on the floor in the hallways. The morgue is full.”
He estimated the death toll to be around 100, while another doctor confirmed there were “dozens of dead.”
Videos shared on social media showed chaotic scenes outside the stadium, with numerous bodies lying on the ground.
The unrest spread beyond the stadium, with angry demonstrators vandalising and setting fire to the N’Zérékoré police station, according to witnesses.
“It all started with a contested decision by the referee. Then fans invaded the pitch,” a witness told AFP, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.
The football match was part of a tournament organised in honour of Guinea’s junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya. Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup, has held several such events as he positions himself for a potential presidential run in elections expected next year.
