The situation spiraled out of control when thousands of fans attempted to enter the Basra International Stadium hours before the game, causing a fateful outcome. The confrontation was not called off despite the incidents.
Iraq and Oman disputed this Thursday the Gulf Cup Final in the Basra International Stadium , located in Iraq. However, the world’s attention focused on the tragedy that occurred hours before the game. According to authorities and witnesses, thousands of people without tickets have gathered since the day before around the place hoping to enter the stadium to watch the important match. Later, a stampede occurred which left 60 injured and two dead.
“The scramble between supporters near the Yezá al-Najla stadium in the governorate of Basra (southeastern Iraq) caused the death of one person and injured 60 mentions the Iraqi news agency, INA, quoting medical sources and mentioning that “several of the injured are in serious condition”. It should be noted that, according to Arab media AlJazeera, the death toll rises to two, instead of one.
Moreover, the Iraqi prime minister Mohammad Shia al-Sudani, traveled to the scene of the events to meet with various members of the Cabinet where the governor of this region, located about 450 kilometers south of Baghdad, was also present, according to a statement from his press office.
As can be seen in the images, the situation was extremely chaotic, with the fans climbing and several people injured on the ground . As mentioned earlier, everything started spiraling out of control several hours before the match (which is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Chilean time), where the massive accumulation of people caused a stampede in which the authorities in charge of security could do little or nothing.
The Home Office asked fans in a statement that they must “respect the rules and instructions authorities, in addition to mentioning that “The citizens of Basra should not go to the stadium if they do not have tickets for the match” .
The statement added that “the number of fans is very large and we do not want there to be any cases of choking”, also inviting fans who had run out of tickets for the match to watch it on the big screen in public places.
Despite the tragic events, the match has not been suspended, Iraq ended up triumphing after winning 3-2. This is what the stadium looked like moments before the start of the game.
It is not the first time
Previously, this edition of the Gulf Cup had already experienced such chaotic situations. Monday, a traffic accident killed seven fans and injured 30 others in the preview of the match between Iraq and Qatar for the semi-finals of the contest.
This tournament has been played since 1970 and has the participation of eight Arab teams: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Iraq, Oman and Yemen .
follow on Jock
Source: Latercera
I’m Scott Moore, a professional writer and journalist based in the US. I’ve been writing for various publications for over 8 years now, and have been working as an author at athletistic for the past five years. My work has been featured by some of the leading sports websites and magazines across Europe.
