By Saliou Samb and Bate Felix
CONAKRY (Reuters) -A controversial refereeing choice sparked violence and a crush at a soccer match in southeast Guinea, killing 56 individuals in keeping with a provisional toll, the federal government mentioned on Monday.
The fatalities occurred through the last of a match in honour of Guinea’s navy chief Mamady Doumbouya at a stadium in Nzerekore, one of many nation’s largest cities.
Some followers threw stones, triggering panic and a crush, the federal government assertion mentioned, promising an investigation.
A video authenticated by Reuters confirmed dozens of individuals scrambling over excessive partitions to flee.
Talking on situation of anonymity, an official from town’s administration mentioned many victims have been minors caught within the turmoil after police began firing tear gasoline. The official described scenes of confusion and chaos with some dad and mom retrieving our bodies earlier than they have been formally counted.
Movies and footage shared on-line confirmed victims lined up on the bottom. In a single video, over a dozen inert our bodies could possibly be seen, a number of of them youngsters.
Reuters was not instantly capable of confirm that footage.
Opposition group Nationwide Alliance for Change and Democracy mentioned authorities bore duty for organising tournaments to bolster political assist for Doumbouya in contravention of a transition constitution previous to a promised presidential election.
There was no fast response from the navy junta to that accusation.
(Further reporting and writing by Hereward Holland and Alessandra PrenticeEditing by Ed Osmond and Andrew Cawthorne)
