A provisional toll of 56 people was announced by the government on Monday after a contentious refereeing call caused rioting and a crowd during a football game in southeast Guinea.
The deaths happened at a stadium in Nzerekore, one of the biggest cities in the country, during the championship match of a competition honoring Mamady Doumbouya, Guinea’s military chief.
According to the official statement, which promised an inquiry, some spectators flung stones, causing panic and a crush.
Reuters verified a video that showed scores of people scurrying over tall walls in an attempt to get away.
“The events that spoiled this afternoon’s football game between the Labe and Nzerekore teams in Nzerekore are regretted by the authorities. “Victims were recorded during the stampede,” Prime Minister Mamadou Oury Bah stated in a statement.
