Soccer match brawl claims over 70 lives
Incident happened after the referee blew the final whistle.
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| (Photo courtesy: The Washington Post) |
At least 74 people were killed in a clash between rival soccer fans at Port Said, Egypt.
The incident took place yesterday when the referee blew the final whistle during a football match which saw home team Al-Masri beat Cairo’s Al-Ahly 3-1.
Al-Masri fans flooded the pitch, throwing rocks, bottles and fireworks at Al-Ahly supporters, as the latter teams players and fans ran in all directions trying to flee, witnesses said.
Gunfire was also reported on the main road leading to Port Said from Cairo and troops were deployed to prevent further clashes.
"The death toll has now reached 74, including one policeman, in the unrest after the match between Al-Ahly and Al-Masri," the health ministry said in a statement.
“Most of the people were killed in the crush," Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim said, while medics said some of the deaths were the result of stab wounds.
The incident is the deadliest since the country’s autocratic president was ousted a year ago.
The bloodshed brought into sharp focus how much security has deteriorated over the past year as the revolt and its continuing ripples have chipped away at the pillars of the police state that made the country an exceptionally safe nation in recent decades.
“How come there’s a match in Port Said and there’s known tension between the two teams’ fans and there are 12,000 spectators in the stadium and yet, there is no security,” parliament member Mohammad Abu Hamed said on state TV.
Meanwhile, international football association FIFA has termed the incident as a "black day for football.
Source: Hindustan Times/Washington Post
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