The Health Ministry said eight people were crushed to death and 50 injured on Monday in a riot outside a Cameroon stadium. The local team disputed the round of 16 of the African Cup of Nations.
The tragedy came when a crowd tried to force its way into the 60,000-seat Olembe stadium to watch Cameroon’s 2-1 victory over Comoros.
“We have recorded eight deaths, including one child,” said a statement from the Ministry. A few hours earlier, state television announced a balance of “six dead and dozens injured.”
“The victims were immediately transported to hospitals in ambulances, but heavy traffic delayed the transfer,” the government said.
A baby was trampled during the riot but was taken to a Yaoundé hospital and is in “stable” condition. Fifty people were injured in the incident, including two with multiple injuries and another two with serious head injuries.
The Confederation of African Football (CAF) “investigates the situation to obtain more details of the incident”, the entity said. She also called a “crisis meeting” with the local organizing committee for this Tuesday to look at security in the stadiums.
On the pitch, ahead of the news of the incident outside the stadium, Cameroon secured a spot in the quarter-finals of the tournament and will face Gambia at the weekend in Douala.
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