SPORT - 50 die in SA soccer stampede

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bbc Wednesday, 11 April, 2001, 21:04 GMT 22:04 UK

'50 die' in football stampede

The stadium was crammed with over 60,000 fans At least 50 people have been killed and many more injured in a stampede at a football stadium in South Africa.

The deaths occurred as fans crowded into Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg for a local derby between the Kaizer Chiefs and the Orlando Pirates.

Large numbers of emergency personnel are on the pitch treating dozens of injured people. The most seriously wounded are being ferried to hospital by helicopter.

Sports Minister Ngconde Balfour said that the number killed stood at at least 50.

"There were more supporters than the stadium could hold," he told CNN television news.

"This type of thing should never have happened."

A capacity crowd of 60,000 were already inside the ground, which hosted the 1995 Rugby World Cup final, with a further 30,000 reportedly still trying to gain entry.

Crush

A crush reportedly started in the east wing of the stadium as fans scrambled for seats and spilled over into box suites.

The game was halted after about 35 minutes, and club officials pleaded for calm.

Police had earlier fired tear gas at people stampeding outside the stadium.

The injured were being carried on stretchers to helicopters for medical evacuation as emergency vehicles outside the stadium were unable to move amid the football traffic.

There were also reports that fans outside tried to push into the stadium and were trapped against barbed wire.

Tragedy

The match between the two teams is usually one of the highlights of the South African football calendar, and attracts some of the largest crowds of the year.

A similar tragedy occurred 10 years ago when the two teams met in a pre-season friendly at Orkney, a provincial town some 200km (125 miles) from Johannesburg.

Then 42 people, including two children, were killed in a stampede.

South Africa, which is seeking to host the World Cup finals in 2010, has a history of poor organisation at its local league matches.

Scrums for tickets are commonplace as few are pre-sold.

-- Anonymous, April 11, 2001


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